UPDATE 4/15/26: Opportunity to Secure Safe Transportation Hi everyone, I wanted to share an important and very hopeful update. After posting about my situation and the setbacks with my previous vehicle, I’ve been actively searching for a reliable option that could truly help me move forward safely and stabilize my life. I found a SUV with moderately mileage and a clean title, and I actually went to test drive it on Monday knowing it was out of my original budget, but hoping there might be some flexibility. After sharing my story with the family selling the car, I received a call today from the wife offering something unexpected and incredibly meaningful. They have agreed that if I can pay the remaining balance of their loan, $7,550 by Monday, the vehicle is mine!!  This car would genuinely change everything for me. It would:

 • Allow me to safely leave the same city as my abuser

 • Provide temporary shelter while I transition and find housing

 • Give me reliable transportation for work, interviews, and rebuilding stability

 • And allow me to maintain a small buffer for travel, housing costs, and basic necessities during this transition period 

 It is a SUV with a clean title, no known mechanical issues, and they have even offered to cover a pre-purchase inspection with a mechanic of my choosing, which means a lot in terms of transparency and trust. At this point, I am about $2,500 away from being able to secure it, and I have been doing everything I can to close that gap in time. The automatic goal setting will continue to increase as donations roll in, but I just need to get to the $17,000 mark for the car ($2500)! I don’t take this moment lightly. I know how many people have already supported me through this journey, and I am beyond grateful. I truly would not be here without that support. If you are able to help or share, it would mean everything right now as I try to secure this opportunity and take a major step toward safety and stability. Thank you for reading, and for continuing to stand with me

UPDATE 04/07/2026: Hi everyone

I want to give a very honest and transparent update, because you all have been such a huge part of getting me this far. The original goal of this fundraiser was only $900 to help me safely leave and begin rebuilding. With your incredible support, we’ve raised around $11K which has already made a huge impact on helping me get this far.

I’m so grateful for every single person who contributed, shared, or supported me in any way I truly wouldn’t be here without you.

Because of unexpected setbacks with my car, I’m now at a point where I need to reassess what’s still required to move forward. I am reopening the GFM to allow space for the needs ahead and want to remind everyone the goal is automatically set by GFM based on the previous donations, and does increase as they hit certain thresholds. I thought it would be more transparent to update this fundraiser, rather than create an entirely new one. I will shut it back down once the new needs are met. So, What's going on?

The original plan was to repair my car so I could safely leave, travel back to my home state, and begin rebuilding with my furbaby. Before going to the dealership, I actually had an independent mechanic look at my car. He spent hours (8!!) working on it and gave me multiple different opinions. First he replaced my MAF sensor, then took off the replacement, and put my old my MAF sensor back on. Then he told me that the computer was telling him not to even LOOK at the plugs/coils/small things even though it had cylinder misfires, and then finally told me that I may have a vaccum leak, encouraged me to get a smoke machine for his shop to diagnose it, and said if this is the case that it wasn't worth fixing and I should scrap it. None of this gave me real confidence in what was actually wrong, and after speaking with a few people I was told that it sounded like I was being taken for a ride and honestly, It left a bad feeling with me, and I didn’t want to risk putting money into something without a clear and reliable diagnosis.

That’s why I chose to go to a dealership. I wanted accountability, clarity, and to feel confident that the work being done was correct.

I was given a diagnosis and told that replacing the spark plugs, coils, fuel pump, valve cover gasket, intake manifold gasket, along with an oil change and gas line bleed, would resolve the issue and make the car reliable again.

I trusted that. I moved forward with the repairs and spent just over $2,100. After everything was completed… the car is still having the same major issues. Yes, 2 of the 4 cylinders are no longer misfiring, but two still are, and it is still shutting down above 45 MPH and rough idling. Now I’m being told the problem may be much more serious, possibly involving internal engine damage (pistons), and that it would require a full tear-down, repair, and rebuild of the engine, which would cost around $5,000.

At that point, the repair is more than the car is worth.

So now I’m facing a really difficult position: Do I attempt the repair anyway, or do I try to replace the vehicle entirely? Either option is going to cost thousands.

I do still have a good portion of the funds that were raised, and I am beyond grateful for that. I truly never expected the amount of support I’ve received. But the reality is, if I use what I have left to repair or even replace the car ( I would have to do this privately and not through a dealer due to my license, and reliable replacements that will last a while seem to run about $6000-$10,000 alone) it will take everything I have. And that’s where this becomes bigger than just the car. Because I still need to:

• travel back to my home state

• secure housing (first month’s rent, deposit, application fees, admin fees, pet deposit, etc.)

• have some level of stability (sleeping in my car) while I search for a job and housing

• Get my license straightened out and ideally have even a small emergency cushion

If I do this completely on my own, I won’t be able to cover all of that.

My car isn’t just transportation: it’s been my shelter, my safety, and my plan to move forward. Losing that plan, or having it become this uncertain, has been a really hard hit. I won’t lie, I’ve felt overwhelmed, frustrated, and honestly scared trying to figure out what comes next.

But I am not giving up.

Even in the middle of all of this, I’m still pushing forward, still trying to think clearly, and still making the best decisions I can. I’ve had a lot of people suggest that I reopen and share this again, and after a lot of hesitation, I’ve decided to do that. Not because I expected this, and not because I take any of the support lightly, but because this situation changed in a way I couldn’t have planned for, and I have to realize that, even if I feel like I'm not worth it, I AM. I DO have a community who loves me, wants the best for me, and who WILL rally behind me to make sure I make it.

Anything moving forward will go directly toward securing reliable transportation, whether that ends up being repairing this car or replacing it entirely, the path will depend on what makes the most sense and what I’m able to do combined with any donations.

If you feel led to support or even just share, I am beyond grateful.

If not, please know that your encouragement, advice, and kindness have already carried me further than I ever thought possible.

I truly would not be here without this community.

No matter how overwhelmed I feel, I’m constantly reminded that I’m not alone and that means everything.

Thank you for being here

ORIGINAL 06/05/26: Support Me & My Pups journey to safety from abuse

Hi, my name is JMC (changed to initials for safety) . I’m 25 years old, and tomorrow I will be leaving my abusive relationship of 6 years and living out of my car with my 5 month old pup.

Im bringing the puppy because I know she would not be safe if I left her behind. Leaving is not impulsive. It took me six years to build the courage to do it. But this is my first and likely last opportunity.

I grew up in a low income home and survived sexual assault as both a child and a teenager. I’ve been diagnosed with PTSD, major depressive disorder, and anxiety. For most of my life, I’ve been in survival mode and trying to survive trauma I didn’t choose. At 18, I moved out on my own, got a stable job in furniture finance, and built independence. But the relationship I entered at 19 went from all the love and “family” i thought I wanted and slowly became controlling and isolating. Over time, I lost my support system (I had two best friends) . I was discouraged from working. The emotional abuse turned physical. I was told I was worthless and that no one else would love me. I believed it for far too long.

This week, I finally leave. Tomorrow to be exact.

Right now, I have $6 in the tank of my car , which will be my shelter for the foreseeable future. It is throwing a couple different engine codes ( multiple misfires), has a loose motor mount, and the heat/AC does not work. It shakes when it runs. I cannot safely relocate until it’s repaired, It will NOT make it. But I can at least get away from his grasp.

I am currently in (removed current state for safety) in a city where I have very limited resources and no support system. My goal is to eventually relocate back to (removed state for safety) , where I am more familiar with the area and have a better chance of rebuilding. But I need to stabilize first.

I will be safe. My fur baby will be safe. And I am NOT going back.

I am setting an initial goal to cover immediate stabilization and relocation costs, I was told to aim higher, but GFM will adjust it as donations come in with automated goal.

Things the funds will hopefully go to:

This amount will not create luxury but it will create stability. My goal is to secure safe transportation, temporary shelter, relocate, and find employment so I can fully support myself again.

I am actively looking into domestic violence resources and employment options. This fundraiser was suggested to me and is meant to help bridge the gap between leaving and rebuilding

If you’re able to donate or share, I am deeply grateful and forever indebted. I have no idea how to thank everyone for their kind words and empathy. I may have missed some information, but I just wanted to get this up for now while he is sitting in his car, before he comes in to go to sleep.

If you can donate, share, or send encouragement, it truly matters.

(Please only give if you are able. Sharing helps just as much.)