Calling all friends of our beloved Fern: she needs our help!
Let's get this single mom and her kids to a safe home, a new car, and a FRESH START!
Hey y'all, this is Ariel, a friend of Fern, writing on her behalf.
Basically, Fern has found herself in a blender of bad circumstances that culminated in a car accident at 4am on Sunday morning, while driving home from her job as a bartender. She is physically totally fine, but her car was totaled, and unfortunately her car insurance had lapsed at the time of the accident.
Only hours prior to this accident, Fern and I were chatting about how, like so many other talented artists with long careers in production, she had barely worked this whole year commercially, and had tragically fallen behind on some basic bills. The 4k+ she pays for an apt in an unsafe neighborhood for herself and her 4 children had become unmanageable, and she currently owed a balance of rent, risking eviction. Additionally, a pesky past due gas bill of $1500 from COVID that no relief funds could be obtained to cover had led to her gas being shut off. So, for about a month, she and her kids had been gracefully enduring cold showers and camping stove top prepared meals.
Exciting sudden twist fate for Fern:
I then mention during our chat there there was an available unit in my building that had five rooms, a huge kitchen and bathroom, plenty of storage and light, for only $3300 a month, no utilities. LITERALLY A THOUSAND DOLLARS LESS THAN WHAT SHE CURRENTLY PAYS. It is also:
- Located in a much safer neighborhood
- 3 min from her bartending job
- 8 minutes from her daughter's school
- Close to Little Tokyo, the children's favorite hangout
- Would place this artist and single mother and her children in a building full of support and community, surrounded by other like-minded artists
- Rent from landlords embedded in the fine art world, whose total objective is to foster artists' careers into thriving ventures, and lease to honorable tenants.
Today was then host to a series of miraculous events:
After viewing the loft at my building, Fern was offered the space on the spot by my building manager. It is a perfect fit for her creative little family to thrive in a much more secure and safe, supportive, affordable environment.
We then FaceTimed with the building owners, who enthusiastically welcomed Fern and her family to the building. Upon hearing about Fern's car accident, they ultimately offered to reduce move-in costs to only $3300 (instead of what would typically have added up to OVER $8k). The security deposit of $1650 could be made at a later time that month.
Let's help Fern take advantage of this incredible opportunity!
We are looking to raise:
1. $3300 asap to secure the unit
2. $1650 to cover security deposit
2. $2500 to cover current rental balance at the hellhole
3. $1500 to cover owed gas bill
4. $7k to cover buying a new used vehicle for life+work
5. $4k to cover the moving expenses of a mother and 4 children, and give Fern some wiggle room to breathe. Additionally this will go towards Fern affording bodywork after the accident.
This totals around 20k. Please help Fern cover these milestone costs to achieve such an incredible fresh start!
Both Fern and I are eager to commit our artistic talents to produce rewards for donation. You like paintings and stuff with rhinestones on it? Donate now!
We all love Fern. She is a longtime art dept and scenic painter baddie, general contractor Mommy, and badass single mother and friend, with a beautiful painting practice to boot. LETS HELP HER WIN!!!!! Thank you to all the friends and folks who help with amazing woman and her children move forward to a better life. It truly takes a village!