Hello Friends-

Many of you have asked how you can help me through this difficult time of transition.  If you have missed my Facebook updates, I have reposted the general story below, but in a nutshell, I had to leave NYC suddenly for my physical and emotional safety.  Although it was absolutely the right thing to do, I was not able to plan and prepare for it as I would have under other circumstances.  It is as a last resort that I am creating this GoFundMe--  and it is deeply, deeply humbling.

I have been fortunate in that I have had friends step up with housing, so I am NOT homeless for now.  However, a few unexpected setbacks have left me in a lurch.

What's been going on:
I came to Colorado with two solid options for housing, both of which included use of a vehicle and providing a roof over our heads (my kitties Scutter and Agnes have been troopers through it all).  Unfortunately, the beautiful mountain paradise at which I originally settled is not a possibility as I discovered that there is a hold on my NY Driver's License that makes it impossible for me to get my CO DL, and that location was dependent on reliable personal transportation.  It will likely take 4-6 weeks and at least $1,500 for this issue to be resolved. I took it in stride, intending to resettle with my Option B in Denver, which would have been close to public transportation.  Unfortunately, this also fell through due to circumstances beyond my would-be host's control.   I reached out to my Colorado network and found a place for us to live in Longmont that has allowed me to find a job accessible via public transit while I work to get back on my feet and work through the DMV issues.

To that end, I have just started to work at Barnes and Noble, thanks to the very supportive management team at the store I left in NYC, and some gentle massaging of a few local connections in Boulder. Unfortunately, I won't see any of that income for a few weeks, and even then, it is a low-paying job, which makes my immediate situation a bit precarious.  I will continue to look for a more lucrative career move in my field of nonprofit program management, but that will take some time.

So, what I need in the short term is some financial support.  My father and brother have already done so much to help me get out of the emotionally and physically dangerous situation I was in back in NYC, and I can't keep depending on them at this time, so I am reaching out to my broader circle of fiends and family.

My immediate needs can be broken down as follows:

 - Groceries (including kitty food and litter)
 - Regional bus fare, $10.50/day for regional fare, Longmont to Boulder
- $1,500 to resolve NYS DMV issues once I receive a settlement offer 
- I currently have no health coverage, and have a severe dental issue to deal with

Any help you might be able to give to help me to get back on my feet and make this fresh start in my life would be greatly appreciated.

Much love-
Jonathan


From my earlier Facebook announcement:

It is with a heavy heart that I share with you all thatI have left New York.
There has been a lot going on in my world since losing my job last November, and it has intensified over the past few months. There are a lot of pieces to this complicated saga, more than I can share here. It is all happened very quickly-- My dad came into town from Florida to help with the move (and I'm sure to make sure I didn't chicken out and find myself second-guessing what I knew is the right thing for me right now.) He arrived Wednesday afternoon, November 13th, and we loaded only what fit in a minivan, and left early Saturday the 16th. I am sorry I didn't have time to say proper goodbyes to everyone.

I am grateful for my brother and my dad for recognizing that I needed help getting away from a classically codependent, and recently physically abusive, relationship.

I have returned to my beloved Colorado for an extended visit while I clear my head, take a good hard look at what i want for the rest of my life, and find a way back to me. While I am struggling with having to leave NY, I am excited about the opportunity and peace I am hoping Colorado will bring to me. I am also grateful for my dear friends who have always tried to get me to come back. Knowing that I have a loving, compassionate, wise social support network there made this a less painful decision.

(** It is not lost on my that many years ago, I used this platform to raise money for an admittedly self-indulgent purpose--  to return to London to see THE DROWNED MAN.  Believe me, I am feeling ridiculous about that at this time.  Please know that I did "pay it forward" and made donations to various arts projects and artists for each and every dollar donated back at that time.)