Hi, I'm Ellie (18). I didn’t really want to make this, but we’re out of options.

My mom (Linda, 55) and I have been homeless since February 2nd, 2023, when we were evicted from our home. My dad left in early 2021, and it’s been hard since without any proper income. We’ve been living mostly out of our car, and when we can, we stay in hotels with some help from my dad and grandpa. But that support has mostly dried up. The help from my dad has been growing more inconsistent, and he has recently threatened to stop sending money altogether, leaving us in an even more uncertain situation.

My brother was able to move into an apartment with the help of his friends, but my mom and I are still stuck without a place. We also have our three cats with us. They're family, and we’re not giving them up.

We’ve been trying to earn through DoorDash and Instacart, but our car is falling apart. The power steering is bad, the gas gauge barely works, and the tires need to be replaced. It barely gets 10mpg, so most of what we make goes right back into the gas tank. We’ve seen cars on Facebook Marketplace that could actually get us through work and day-to-day life, but we can’t afford them without help.

My mom hasn’t been able to work a regular job since she fractured her foot in December 2019. She never had the chance to fully heal because of everything we’ve been going through, and the pain makes it hard for her to stand or walk for long. I’m 18, turning 19 in July, and I don’t have a high school diploma yet or an ID. It’s hard to get a job when I can’t guarantee I’ll even have clean clothes or a safe place to sleep at night either.

On top of everything, both my mom and I have struggled with depression and anxiety for many years. I’ve also been dealing with other mental health issues that make all of this even harder. Right now, I’m not in a place where I can seek help for any of it, because basic survival has to come first. Just making it through the day is overwhelming most of the time.

We’ve been trying to find housing, but nothing has worked out. And now my grandma just passed away, and we’ve got legal stuff to handle. But doing that while living in a car is next to impossible.

We get about $500 a month in SNAP benefits, but without a fridge or a place to cook, a lot of it goes to waste. Even basic things like laundry and hygiene are getting harder to manage.

I’m asking to help us with:

• A reliable, fuel-efficient car (possibly from Facebook Marketplace)

• Day-to-day needs like food, laundry, and hygiene

• Getting closer to stable housing

• Possible legal expenses

Anything helps. Even sharing this would mean a lot. Thank you so much for reading and for any support you can give.

Update June 23, 2025

Hi, I wanted to give a quick update on how things have been.

My dad has been sending us even less money than before, and we’re really struggling. It’s getting hotter out, and we barely have any money for gas, let alone food or water most days. My mom’s foot has gotten worse again, and she’s been sick for over a week now. We don’t have a way to get her to a doctor, so she’s just been trying to deal with it.

A few days ago, I sprained my ankle. It doesn’t hurt as bad now, but it still acts up sometimes, especially if I’m walking a lot. We’re still living out of the car, and everything has just been piling up lately.

The car has also been getting worse. The gas gauge barely works anymore, it shakes violently when we’re on the freeway, and the steering has gotten worse too. The tires really need to be replaced, you can actually see the lining on one of them. Now the battery is starting to go out too. It’s just been one thing after another.

Thank you so much to anyone who’s donated or shared this. It really does mean a lot. Anything helps, even just getting the word out.