Urgent Help for Danielle and Oreo's Survival

Hello! My name is Danielle Tall and I am a 21 year old, former Howard University student, and Shaker Heights High School alumna. I have been homeless since February 18, 2025, after abruptly escaping an extremely abusive and toxic living arrangement with my biological mother. For the past month and a half, I have been moving from place to place, to have a safe roof over my head, while trying to plan out a more stable, long-term solution to my housing and financial difficulties. Every plan that I have set into action has backfired on me, leaving me in a worse, more difficult position than before. I am moving around with a very anxious, yet extremely loving, 7-year-old cat, named Oreo, as he is all I have. I am, now, at the point where I cannot afford to pay my bills for the upcoming days, let alone for the month.

THE OVERALL ASK:

I just need something to help me pay my bills and debt (that I've acquired from this) right now, and another temporary placement, to at least buy me some time to continue to figure everything else out, as I'm completely tapped out at this point. I cannot do it on my own. None of my relatives are trustworthy, as they have all either abused me, allowed me to be abused, gaslit my experiences, just to admit to them years later, or threatened to tell my abusive mother my whereabouts, placing me more into danger. It has always just been me, but I have run out of survival ideas now...

MORE ABOUT ME AND MY SITUATION:

I would have been a third-year undergraduate student, Elementary Education major, at Howard University, this 2024-2025 academic year. However, after being notified in July that I did not receive housing for the school year, I struggled for the next month and a half to find alternate living arrangements. I could not afford to finance my education and housing, as I did not have the luxury of parental support when it came to my college tuition. Also, my mother would still claim me as a dependent on her taxes and file my FAFSA, disqualifying me for many grants and scholarships. I have been financially supporting and taking care of myself since I was 16 years old, after she split from her ex-boyfriend, who was my primary caretaker since I was about 10 years old. Therefore, I did not have the financial resources to return to Howard, and was forced to take a year off.

I have worked as an Intern for the Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Shaker Heights City School District since 2021, assisting with the management and organization of the MAC Scholars Summer Enrichment Program, attending multiple equity events and workshops, creating informative campaigns and other projects for multiple administrative departments, and more. As a former Shaker student and employee, I decided to apply for a Paraprofessional position at Boulevard Elementary School. I was not told that the wage I was to receive would not accurately reflect on my paychecks, as I was put on a salary-based pay, instead of an hourly-based pay, and was being paid significantly less than what I was working for. The wage was already too low, but I could at least afford a one-bedroom apartment in a somewhat decent Cleveland neighborhood, had I been paid for the full-time job I was working, with the hourly rate I agreed to. However, since my paychecks were being divided throughout the year, I was making about a third of what I was working for, and did not make enough monthly income to even qualify for the cheapest studio apartment in a dangerous neighborhood, with a shorter-termed lease (as I planned to return to school in August 2025). By the time I realized why I wasn't qualifying for any apartments (Feb 2025), I was approaching the 30-day notice that my mother taped to a door in her condo, for me to vacate her residence, and I only had about a week to figure everything out.

I took the week off of work to travel to the library everyday, to research and find solutions on where to go. I had to go to the library, because my mother decided to change the Wi-Fi password and lock the router in her room on my birthday (February 3), most likely, as a way to gain attention. This is extremely common and typical behavior for her. I do not have a car, as I could not afford to support myself and pay for driving lessons in high school, and my mother said that I had to wait until I was 18 to learn how to drive, so that I could get my license without lessons, but then made constant excuses to not teach me after I turned 18. This has, also, posed major issues in my life.

With 3 days left to make a decision, I began calling around, to ask anyone for help. One friend of mine offered to have me and my cat move to her place, out of state, and start over there, and I accepted, as it seemed like the only option at the time, and I was running of time. After abruptly quitting my job, paying for plane tickets, travel expenses, a storage unit in Cleveland for the rest of my things, pet expenses, etc., I only had enough left to find a job there and start over. However, that plan fell through, things did not work out (I will not go into detail), and I had to leave within 2 weeks, or risk temporarily giving up my cat (who had become very ill there). I had to spend more money to travel back to Cleveland, with everything I came with, stay in an Airbnb, and try to start over again, with hopes of finding a new job and a more stable living arrangement.

However, a week into staying at the Airbnb, I was bit all over my body by bed bugs. I had to quickly evacuate that place, and was only offered a partial refund. The next place I booked was more expensive, and all of the abrupt changes were costing me everything I had saved up. Every place I went to, I had to worry about the next place that I was going, and barely had time to think long-term.

Most of my experience is within education, childcare, and/or program management/assistance, but the jobs I qualify for in experience, I do not qualify for in education. I don't have the degree required, I'm not currently enrolled in school, and starter-position jobs, where I have no experience, do not qualify me for a studio apartment in the area (about 3 times the base rent). I accepted a position for a job about 2.5 weeks ago, and was under the impression that I could start April 1, but I was just, recently, made aware that I have to undergo an entire onboarding and drug-test process, that may take about a week to process, with the earliest availability for the process listed as April 7th. This has affected my current financial situation, as well.

I have been looking for other part-time jobs, but they do not make enough, in this economy, to qualify me for an apartment, and the positions that do make enough would be longer-term and full-time, and I will not have the time to work those positions and the one I have lined up for me, whose hours are expected to increase in May.

Not having my degree and being homeless in a failing economy has been the worst thing that I have ever gone through (which says a lot, because I have been through nearly every trauma possible, just from "family" alone). I, usually, know how to get out of situations like this, and I make it work. Whether it was running away constantly in high school, seeking help from school professionals on how to escape my abusive family, or working three jobs, simultaneously, to ensure I could get out and go far away from them for school, I have always figured SOMETHING out. So, as of right now, I am feeling a bit defeated and scared. I don't know what else to do. Federal funding is being cut from programs left and right, and the job market is terrible. I've been on the waitlist for Section 8 since December and I've maxed out my credit card, at this point.

IN CONCLUSION:

I'm an extremely hard worker and I've been fighting for survival my entire life, but I need help. Any donation is much appreciated! Please share this and help me and Oreo. We are all we have.

There is SO much more to my story, and to this story, in particular, but I cannot type everything. I will try to upload videos as soon as possible, explaining more and giving more context. Please reach out to me if you have any questions. Thank you for your help!!