Support Dove & Jess

Meeting Dove and Jess has truly been a highlight of the past year. They are two of the warmest, most welcoming humans I've met, and just exude love to all of those who know them. I've witnessed the ways that Dove and Jess are there for their community, and the beautiful work that they both do with kids and teens. Dove and Jess have had to navigate a bunch of hard stuff over the past year and I'm hopeful that we can support them with some financial support to get through this time.

A little more about Dove and Jess and their story:

Dove is native/Latinx, fat, queer, trans, and disabled. They do a lot of mutual aid and are always there to help folks in tough situations. They also do AMAZING and powerful work with middle schoolers as a sex ed and literature teacher.

Jess is queer/trans and disabled and a therapeutic preschool teacher for toddlers who have experienced housing instability and trauma.

What’s going on

The last few years and especially the last few months have been very difficult for Dove and Jess. After an expensive and challenging move to a new home, as well as unforeseen personal emergencies, the savings Dove and Jess had built has dwindled.

Dove’s physical health has been suffering due to diabetes and osteoarthritis, and they have had to take leave from their beloved teaching job due to the stress it is putting on their body and mind. In just a three-week period, Dove developed a shoulder injury, sprained their ankle, and threw their back out!

At the same time, Dove learned a beloved family member was very sick with leukemia and had to emergency fly to California to see him—a trip that was meaningful and important but unplanned for.

Last week, Dove and Jess’s relationship with their partner and roommate ended unexpectedly, and it was decided that the best course of action was for the households to separate. This has been a very painful time for Dove and Jess, and although their ex-partner is paying his rent portion and is committed to upholding his portion of their bills, it is an extra financial stressor for Jess and Dove, especially as Dove is not currently working and is still awaiting approval for small short-term disability payments. Jess is also supposed to be taking time off later this fall to get their long-awaited top surgery, and Dove is having a small surgical procedure on their low back.

It's just been the perfect storm for these two kind humans and they are really needing to call on the community for support.

We are working to raise $6,000 that will go towards rent, groceries, medical bills, student loans, credit card bills, car repair, and surgical recovery for Jess.

Donations of any amount are deeply appreciated.

Thanks for reading and donating.

Love,

Ori (On behalf of Dove and Jess)