Hello, my name is Lara, and I really dont want to make this fundraiser or be in this position, at all.

For the past year I've been saving and making strides towards moving out of my grandmothers house to live with my partner and be independent, over the course of a year I was able to save 10k and have been apartment searching all during this period. Ive done everything you're 'suppose' to do as a young adult seeking independence. It is incredibly frustrating and exhausting to have put so much effort into this goal given the terrible climate of the world, and the ever rising cost of living alone.

Despite saving almost everything I made, working constantly doing multiple jobs, even dropping out of college to focus on work and moving, it only took one major loss to put all my efforts to waste.

This past November, I experienced the devastating loss of my grandfather. It was sudden, and in the wake of this loss my grandmother and I were left little room to grieve, as the primary source of financial support, losing him sent us into a state of financial crisis. Following his passing my grandmother was denied funds that are legally willed to her, meant to keep her financially supported with my grandfather was gone. She is now in an expensive legal battle just to be granted the right to live out the end of her life comfortably. While this has been going on I'm left with an expanse of other troubles, starting with my car. The primary way I work is making pizza deliveries, so losing my car is more than just a minor inconvenience, It has cut me off from making even half of the money I was. Originally I was told the problem only needed a short amount of time to be fixed, so I switched positions at work to avoid being fired and to still be making some amount of money. However, this became a mess that has left me without a vehicle since the end of December. Ultimately my car breaking down has ended up costing me thousands of dollars in lost wages. Wages are not the only thing I've lost, my hours have been cut down significantly. This isn't just bad when you need money, it's bad when you need to prove to landlords that you're fit to rent an apartment, bringing me to my next problem. Spending months trying to find a place to live has left me with just a week to find suitable housing for my partner and I, and rather than having been able to amp up my hours and increase my credibility, I've essentially been barred from any landlord approval at all. Just to add insult to injury my childhood cat whos been with me the last 13 years, and has traveled across the country with me twice, had a medical emergency. By the end of it the vet bill has cost me an additional five thousand dollars. Just like that, half my savings is gone. Any reliable vehicle will cost me between 10-13k and I'll be needing to put at least half down for anything I find, this will leave me essentially destitute as far as savings go.

All with a week left I'm still without a vehicle, or any way to feasibly afford moving expenses. This is the reality for me right now, someone who has worked tirelessly to be financially stable and independent, now left on the edge of homelessness. It is not my nature to ask for help, however after multiple people urged me to do this, here is my story, and here is my plea. ANYTHING is helpful to me right now, and my family. I appreciate your time in reading this and I wish you all the best.

Thank you,

-Lara