Hi, my name is Bishop and I've been homeless since graduating college in early June of last year. I've slept on the streets, couch-surfed across the continent, and eventually made my way back to the college town I've spent most of my early adulthood in. I resisted starting a fundraiser earlier, as I didn't have stable enough housing or support to really feel like I could use whatever money went my way wisely-- I wanted to avoid the situation where I squandered people's money on hotel rooms and lost it all immediately.

That said, things have changed: I've recently moved into a 90-day emergency shelter that is both giving me the resources to find a new apartment and also covers my housing until the early summer. This gives me the rare opportunity to actually focus on saving money for things I've desperately needed for the last year: doctor's appointments, driver's license renewals, securing a bus pass, buying clothes that aren't filthy and actually fit me. That's what this is for- a way for me to get enough money to pay for the things my local homeless resources cannot or will not.

I imagine some may balk at this funding goal, but considering the cost of healthcare in America (and the cost of living in Bellingham writ-large), I figured this was the most conservative number I could give that would cover everything I need for a few months and give me wiggle room for at least two primary care appointments. Homelessness usually belies at least one ailing health condition, and I want to make sure I've not caught anything potentially life-threatening in the year I've been on the streets.