We are an LGBTIQ refugee family living in precarity. We urg

We are Joan (non-binary person) and Vanesa (pansexual woman), an LGBTIQ+ refugee couple, and Elizabeth, Joan’s elderly mother, also a refugee. All three of us are neurodivergent, artists, and activists. We fled violence in search of a dignified life, but here we still face enormous challenges.

We are currently living in deep precarity. We live in a sheet metal house where water comes in when it rains. We have no stove, no water heater, and very limited access to water. We recently suffered a flood that damaged most of our home. We lost furniture, kitchen utensils, and a key piece of our art workshop.

We dream of moving to a safer, more dignified home, where we can live dry, calm, and with minimum living conditions.

We have also experienced physical violence, which left Vanesa with chronic back pain that requires treatment and medication. My mother Elizabeth and I have hypothyroidism; she also lives with hip arthritis and knee gonarthrosis, a condition that cannot be operated on and causes constant pain. She urgently needs a special wheelchair, as she can no longer stand for long periods.

Our family also includes two kittens and a dog, who are like our children. They also need care and vaccines we can’t currently afford.

We also need support for psychiatric consultations and psychological therapy, which are essential for our mental health as neurodivergent people and survivors of multiple forms of violence. Psychiatric medication is also vital, but we can no longer afford it.

On top of that, we’ve been unable to meet even our basic food needs. Right now, we are only able to eat once a day, which is seriously affecting our physical and emotional health.

Despite everything, we’ve contributed so much to Mexico through art, culture, tenderness, and collective care. We create and share from the heart with others who, like us, are fighting, healing, and dreaming.

Our art project is called Poesía Pintada, a social spin-off, eco-sensitive, and community-friendly artistic venture that blends poetry, painting, and memory to shed light on our experiences and those of other people in resistance. It is our way of surviving, healing, and building community.

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How can you help?

We want to strengthen this project and also cover urgent needs like:

For our art workshop:

• Art supplies

• Design and maintenance of an online store

• Communication tools and materials

For daily survival:

• Medication for hypothyroidism

• Medication for chronic pain (back and knee)

• Psychiatric medication and consultations

• Psychological therapy

• Special wheelchair for Elizabeth

• Replacement of furniture lost in the flood

• Vaccines and basic care for our pets

• A stove and electric water heater

• Moving to a dignified, safe home

• Basic food support – we’re currently eating only once a day

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Every donation, no matter how small, makes a difference.

If you can’t donate, sharing helps too.

Solidarity transforms lives.

[Insert your donation link or contact info here]

With love and hope,

Joan, Vanesa & Elizabeth