Urgent Assistance Needed: Gigs Canceled

Hello

I hate doing this but I am really struggling at the moment and need help. Watching my city literally go up in flames around me has been beyond devastating.

While I am physically ok, I have been thinking about where I would go if I needed to evacuate (so many of those places were in the palisades, Malibu, Pasadena, and the hills - all of which are on fire or vulnerable areas or out of state which I simply cannot afford to get to. )

All of my gigs for the past week and coming week have cancelled and I am currently owed a bunch of money. From gigs in December

After Covid, the writers/actors strikes last year, the recession, and the rise of AI taking away a lot of entertainment work, I already was depleted.

Before this month I had no savings, no 401k (had to cash out from a previous job last year for survival), and barely enough money to scrape by. Gig to gig. I am on food stamps but don’t qualify for unemployment as I am doing some freelance/self employed work.

Last year my credit card debt was so bad that I decided to do credit debt consolidation which ruined my credit for the mean time . Update, I have paid off two of ten cards and it is absolutely moving in the right direction but other than my debit card I have no credit ability at the moment. And since my credit score is so low I cannot get a temporary low limit card to help me through this time/ my apartment and car etc are so important that I keep everything paid since if I had to move right now I couldn’t do it based on my low score.

I have been applying to job after job doing any gig I can (literally did 25 in December) but it’s just not enough. When so much of what I make is tip dependent .

People haven’t been coming out, they haven’t been tipping, because we are all hurting.

The facts

- I am currently owed 9k from a commercial I did in October - they have until march to use it and may not use it meaning I wouldn’t get this money. If I get paid this I will be fine but at this point im getting worried about it.

- I am owed 712 dollars from gigs in December who were supposed to have paid me last Friday the 3rd, then yesterday the 10th and I still don’t have it.

- I have .63 cents in my bank account. No cash.

- I have about half a tank of gas (but I am three months behind on my car payments and am very worried about repossession)

- I have health insurance.

- I have an apartment that isn’t in a fire risk zone with very minimal rent cost but I have a roommate who currently owes me about 250 in utilities that I already paid and am waiting for his half. More bills will be coming. The roomie situation is its own problem but I won’t get into that here.

- I am waiting to hear on four more callbacks I just submitted but if I get them this work will not be paid out for months similar to the commercial from New York

- I have $1679 (this is also assuming a very minimal amount of tips at a few of the gigs but it is actually less more like 1300) dollars coming to me for work before the end of the month but just as all my gigs last week and this weekend were cancelled many of them are at risk of cancelling based on how this fire progresses

My immediate needs

973.44 - February rent

114.77 - my half of utilities owed

215 - pressing medical bills I need to pay that are past due

174 - phone/internet payment for January

479 - one car payment to keep me current (958 in addition is what I really owe)

174 - car insurance

121- aaa payment for the year (this is already late but includes my renters insurance which I cannot let lapse considering everything going on)

432.9 - my credit consolidation monthly payment

150 for food

100 for gas

This equals 2934

- 1400 of what I will hopefully make before the end of January = $1534 still owed

- 712 owed to me if I get it asap - still left 822 short this month


This leaves me 822 short on bills with minimum payments and leaves nothing for an emergency like we are in right now.

I am putting this go fund me up for 2000 to cover what I am short on my bills and to prepare for more cancelled gigs. Hopefully I can get a little bit more to be really ok and stable for a minute . If I don’t get it I also understand as so many people are going through it right now.

What I really need if you cannot donate money is

1. A full-time job. I am capable of so much and am really willing to do anything at the moment. Can send over my resume.

2. Keep hiring me wherever possible . I can clean your house , help organize, pet sit, do administrative work. I’m also a fierce entertainer and can do a lot in this realm (drag, dance, choreography, acting , modeling , hosting, emceeing, behind the scenes , production, art direction , social media management etc) 

3. With the fires I have been thinking of going back to school to do construction/architecture or interiors. Seeing what lies ahead for Los Angeles there will be a major need for rebuilding and when that process begins I want to make sure I have the knowledge and technical skillset to help the most I can. - I will deal with the potential of going back to school in the coming months but I am going to be shifting my full attention away from entertainment as my sole form of income, as it is becoming increasingly challenging for many reasons. 

(Any introductions or connections that can be made in this field will be amazing, as I will probably need an internship down the line)

4.  I do have some items for sale ( two scooters I won on let’s make a deal, my grandmas old record player and speakers, vintage records some collectibles, beanie babies, and a Bernina sewing machine and table )

Selling these items would greatly help me right now as well/ as I need to sell them for space and need the money . If you’re interested let me know

Once I handle my immediate needs and can fill my own cup (aka have money for gas to go anywhere) I will be able to go volunteer and help with fire relief , help evacuate people, help in any way I can. I’m seeing there is an overload on clothes that were donated/ lots of people helping at shelters and helping first responders. I want to be as useful as I can anywhere. So if you have a place I can help you. Message me 

I really am concerned putting this up because I don’t want to be seen as insensitive but I don’t know what else to do.

Update 

Thank you soooooooooo much to everyone who has donated so quickly. I am going to leave this up for another day to try and hit my goal but I have hit the bare minimum goal I need. So I want to shift the attention back to those who need it the most.