Hi my name is Valeria, I’m 22 and trans. I never thought I’d be in a position where I’d have to ask for help like this, but right now I don’t have another option.

I was forced to move out of my mother’s home after she received an eviction notice. Over the years, our rent kept increasing, it started at $2,400 and went up by $200 every year, and eventually it became impossible for her to keep up. Once the apartment had to be cleared out, my mother was able to stay with my grandparents, but there was no space for me. I do have family, but they are already struggling with their own hardships, and I couldn’t bring myself to add my situation onto theirs. That left me with nowhere to go. To avoid sleeping outside, I used my unemployment benefits to pay for a hotel room, which costs $96 per night. Living near the Jersey Shore means even the cheapest hotels are expensive, and my benefits are now almost gone.

I am actively applying for housing assistance, emergency aid, and work, but these processes take time, and I don’t have the stability I need to get back on my feet. Right now, I’m just trying to survive day by day while I wait for help to come through. Any donation no matter how small will go directly toward temporary shelter, food, transportation, and basic necessities while I work toward stable housing. If you can’t donate, sharing this would mean a lot as well. Thank you for taking the time to read my story

Edit: for transfers I have to put my name given at *birth* as my gofundme to match my ID. My trans name is Valeria, I haven’t updated my documents at the DMV yet.