Help Me Reach Safety, Stability, and a Home of My Own

I am a domestic violence survivor in Sonoma County. Right now, I am safe — but only temporarily — and I am asking for help to reach lasting stability and independence.

For months, I had no safe place to go. Shelters were full, and my only option has been to remain in the same small space as my abuser while trying to quietly plan my exit. This period required constant vigilance, emotional restraint, and survival-level decision-making. I am deeply grateful to the people who are actively helping me get out of immediate danger when I need it most.

Since being offered what was described as a “safe space” last March — after I was directly impacted by government layoffs in February — I have lived in three temporary housing situations. Each move was made in good faith, with the hope that it would bring stability. Instead, each situation introduced new obstacles: instability, emotional strain, loss of privacy, and additional stress at a time when healing was already fragile.

This next move will be my fourth shared living situation and my third time living with a stranger within a single year.

While I am grateful for any place that keeps me out of immediate harm, shared and temporary housing has come at a high emotional cost. Safety has too often required silence, constant self-monitoring, and navigating other people’s expectations while recovering from abuse. These environments have made it harder to rest, focus, work consistently, and rebuild — not because of a lack of effort, but because instability compounds trauma.

I am ready — and I truly need — to be in a home of my own.

Not for comfort. Not for luxury. But because stability is the foundation of recovery. Having a private, consistent place to live would allow me to regulate my nervous system, rebuild income, and move out of survival mode and into real healing and forward momentum. A home of my own would mean safety without conditions, rest without fear, and the ability to rebuild without interruption.

Where Things Stand Now

I have just secured temporary safe housing, which gives me a short but critical window to plan my next steps safely. This is not permanent — it is a bridge.

To move into my own place, I need to raise $3,600 over the next 45 days. This amount would allow me to secure independent housing and finally step out of the cycle of temporary, shared living that has kept me stuck in crisis mode.

What Your Support Helps Cover

Funds raised through this campaign go directly towards:

Independent housing transition funds — $3,600 needed within 45 days

Uhaul van — approximately $100

Public transportation — I currently rely entirely on transit for work, appointments, and daily life

Food and basic necessities — groceries and toiletries during transition

Storage unit — keeping my belongings safe while housing is temporary

Rebuilding my business — restoring income that was stalled by distance, instability, and loss of transportation

How Contributions Make a Difference

$25–$50 → groceries, toiletries, or transit fare

How Specific Contributions Help

$25–$50 → groceries, toiletries, or transit fare

$75–$100 → keeps transportation and storage covered

$150 → moving costs (U-Haul)

$300–$500 → stabilizes transition expenses

$800 → supports one month of business continuity

$3,600- → makes independent housing possible

Supporting Without Donating

Another powerful way to help is by supporting my work.

I am actively rebuilding my business and applying for local jobs — including positions outside my field — to generate income. I am offering private Zoom Pilates sessions now, and group Zoom classes will begin in February once this housing transition is complete.

Booking a session, sharing my work, or spreading the word helps me rebuild sustainable income and independence. My business is The Energy Moves. Theenergymoves.com

Any excess funds will be returned to donors or paid forward to a verified organization supporting individuals leaving domestic abuse.

For safety reasons, identifying details must remain limited. What matters is this: our friend is trying to leave and stay safe right now.

Any support—donating or sharing—directly helps stabilize this transition when timing is critical. Thank you for helping me move safely forward.