Help Dustin Get Back on His Feet

I hate to admit it, but I need help.

My name is Dustin, I am a freelance multimedia artist focused on props, costumes and video editing. I also promote tokusatsu shows and brands working their way around the world in my free time, I love it very much and I like sharing that adoration with others. I live with my girlfriend Katie, a nurse at a emergency vet, my mother, a overqualified and underpaid teacher, and my grandmother, a 82 year old retired nurse who served Washington and North Carolina's many hospitals in her 35+ year career.

I'd much rather be in your shoes helping others right now..... But I'm struggling harder this year than I could have imagined. At the beginning of the pandemic, I was able to adapt my business model to streaming, lessons and video editing which has help keep me afloat and slowly but surely paying off my debts and monthly bills on time. But now I have some emergency home repairs that can not be put off >at all<.

 I have not been paid what I am owed from my contract employers in months. I have funds being held hostage by Bank of America for nearly >27 years<, and I am still too far in debt to take on a loan at this time. With the year we have had, and the lack of adequate funding, everyone in my home is living paycheck to paycheck. Even with the combined home income, we cannot address these emergencies in the timely manner that is demanded of them.

I live in Raleigh, NC.  Winter feels like it came early and with a vengeance. Our Heater/AC is connected to the side of the house that has slowly been losing power. We have contacted our utility provider which has either fallen on deaf ears or become a victim of the city of Raleigh's fantastic (read: garbage) work ethic. I have had to resort to using extension cords to power parts of the house. This year we went from 2 down plugs, to 4 whole rooms completely dead or with one available ceiling light over the course of 6 months. It was tough but manageable for a while. But with the loss of the heater we just purchased last year (Roughly a $8500+ bill for the new machine and duct work), It's becoming harder to stay warm and the Winter season hasn't even fully kicked in yet. On the morning of December 2nd, the space heater I used to keep my gecko, Woz, warm while our heater is down, had sparked,melted and burned into my carpet. If I didn't notice the flame sooner, we could have potentially lost my home, valuables, but most importantly my family, animals, and my own life.

To top off the freezing temperatures creeping into my home, the upstairs bathtub has become unsealed, the subflooring has become weak, and the ceiling below it is beginning to sag dangerously low. It's right above my bed and workspace, endangering everything I worked for in my area, including my prop and costume materials, tools, and my extensive collection of tokusatsu goods & products. We need that bathroom so we can keep clean. If we can't reseal the bath tub and repair any water damage in a timely manner, our only other washroom may be in danger as well. They share a wall and some subflooring. It's already going to be difficult sharing one bathroom between 4 people. Luckily the downstairs bathroom is in working order, but we are down to 1 shower between us 4. Finding this sudden and massive amount of damage, alongside our growing power needs and fire scare, I had to make a very tough call to give up something I had hoped to part with on much better terms.

I recorded this for my followers to better understand the situation: https://youtu.be/4QBJspo-DCE

I offered up my entire collection to try to raise funds. I am used to relinquishing items to afford larger expenses, they are just things........ But this set is much more than just a pile of toys, to me and to others. I was pushed back by so many people, some I never expected to reach out and help.  They requested I make this crowdfunding page to get what is needed to repair my home and keep my stuff.

>I do not like doing this kind of thing. I want to work to earn what I get.< But this experience has humbled me, and made me further gracious to the people in the tokusatsu fan community for their unyielding and continuing support. I never expected this level of help, or this many people telling me not to let my collection go. I wanted to get it out to preserve it and my home. But the pushback from so many people.. and from some who I would NEVER expect to reach out, did. I honestly thought I'd have to let it go to. Thank you for telling me no, and Thank you for the kind and generous offers on the collection, as well as basic assistance.

I reached out to professionals for estimates on the repairs I cannot handle alone, with estimates ranging from $4500-$6500+ for complete repair of mentioned issues. Anything I can repair on my own, I will. I used to work maintenance, I have some of those skills and tools available to me. However, I do not have the skill to handle subflooring replacement, professional waterproofing, water damage repair, or safe large sale electrical maintenance.

I am scheduled to meet another group on the 3rd of December for a second opinion (Free consultation, thank goodness), which should give me a much more accurate number needed for these two massive repairs.

Should we go under budget, or exceed the needed amount, I would like to take what is left and put it towards something we can all agree to donate to. Be it a established charity, my non-profit film's donations, or paying it forward to another tokusatsu fan in need of the community's kindness.

Anything is graciously accepted and valued. I may not be able to do much right away, but I would like to give something to everyone who helped, once I'm back up on my feet and not worrying about the house falling apart.

As a huge fan of Kamen Rider, I would always respond to others in the community  who thanked me for helping or sharing whatever they were working on with "Riders Help Other Riders".
You all reminded me, I'm not the only one saying "Riders Help Other Riders". Thank you all so very much for the assistance, I intend to pay it forward when I can.

-All my love and undying respect-

 Dustin @TheNextDecade