Support Tiphereth and Miri After the Storm

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for being here. I know that there are a ton of donation requests, but I want you to know that just taking time to read about my friend today is so appreciated.

This is Tiphereth (tih-FEER-ith) and her daughter Miri (MEE-dee).

After working in a corporate job for years, she was forced to quit after experiencing harassment and intimidation from fellow employees and supervisors upon attempting to advocate for herself while seeking medical accommodations for her mental and physical health.

She discovered during her employment with this well-known, national corporation that she may be neurodivergent and began seeking a diagnosis for autism and ADHD (which she received from her healthcare team). The symptoms associated with these diagnoses, paired with some serious medical issues, caused her to need time and understanding from her employer which they were ultimately not willing to give. I personally think she has a legitimate legal case for workplace discrimination, but soon after she lost her job, Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina, making it even more challenging to fight for her own worker’s rights. During and after the hurricane, she and Miri were without power, internet, and resources for days. Miri contracted lice several times over the course of the outages, making caring for them both even more difficult.

Miri’s dad is now caring for a second family, including a baby, and no longer provides Tiphereth with child support, even though he was providing it before getting pregnant with his current partner. Tiphereth has tried several times to use the legal system to hold him accountable for Miri’s care, but because of the cost of hiring an attorney and the mental gymnastics of finding adequate representation, filling out and filing paperwork, and everything else that goes along with entering into a legal dispute, Tiphereth needs resources (money and accessibility support) in order to even begin.

While she faces these insurmountable odds, she is still committed to raising Miri with compassion, patience, and respect for her culture. Tiphereth is a dedicated, present parent—she is always advocating for her child in a school setting and is constantly finding opportunities for Miri to learn, socialize, and grow at home. She speaks Spanish and English with Miri at home and implements conscious parenting with her, spending time to understand her big feelings (those of you who parent this way know how mentally and emotionally taxing this can be ). She remains open and flexible to what her six-year-old needs and is constantly prioritizing her above all else. When we’re talking on the phone or FaceTiming, she is also regularly caring for a neighbor or friend’s child while they run errands or is advocating for a member of her community who has less than she does.

My friend needs some time in order to gather resources and a support team. Without an understanding and supportive family, mutual aid is the most realistic way for her to stay in a safe living situation and buy her some time to adjust to being a single, disabled mom who wants to provide the very best, loving home environment for her daughter. The wildest thing about this request is that Tiphereth is currently and ultimately wants to spend as much time as possible helping the Spanish-speaking immigrant community in her area find resources amidst mass deportations and removal of constitutional rights. I just know that she needs to prioritize her own mental and physical health in order to do so and hope she can find help here.

Every penny raised during this GoFundMe will go towards helping Tiphereth and Miri pay bills, buy groceries, and catch up on expenses incurred during Hurricane Helene. They will go towards an autism care team for Tiphereth as she navigates new systems in order to live comfortably as a disabled person in an inaccessible world. They will go to self-care products and entertainment for Tiphereth and Miri so that they won’t have to just survive in this inequitable world, but thrive.

Thank you so much for helping my dearest friend and her incredible kid. If you’re unable to donate, please share to your socials and with friends and family. Much love.