Isa and Ceci's Safety and Relocation Fund
Donation protected
This week my sister and I became the first in our family to graduate college, we also became homeless. After years of financial, emotional, and physical abuse, our mother made clear that we are neither welcome nor safe in what used to be our home. After a traumatic graduation weekend, my sister and I flew into LAX with our suitcases and nowhere to stay. Our father's housing is unsafe for us at this point in time, and he is doing his best to support us with what little resources he has.
Neither of us expected to celebrate our graduations this way, but we know God has a plan for us. We are incredibly proud of each other's accomplishments and refuse to give up hope. I recently graduated Williams College with Honors, was elected to present the class history, and even won an award in honor of my leadership and citizenship. I have my dream job lined up in LA and my start date is later this summer. My sister graduated with her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and created a wave measurement system for a hydro-electric power plant in Brazil as her senior project. She is an incredibly bright scholar and engineer and will be starting her masters at CSULA in mid August. Both of our futures are bright, but for now we need your help.
We found out this morning that our mother has closed our bank accounts without our consent, including a savings account I began in order to move out before I start work. We flew into LA last night, and will be bouncing between friends houses and "camping" until we can find a more stable living situation. We have with us the clothing in our suitcases, our two dogs, and our favorite books.
We plan to use the funds raised to pay for an apartment, Cecilia's upcoming tuition bill, food, and gas. After that, I will become financially responsible for my sister, our two dogs, and our future home.
Thank you so much for reading this far, and for your support in this difficult moment in our lives. We haven't spoken out about our home life publicly before and want to make clear that we love our family. We have both been outspoken advocates for friends who have similarly lived through abusive relationships. Today we are taking our lives back and making the decision to break what has been a never ending cycle of abuse. We are safe, we are supported, and we are hopeful.
Neither of us expected to celebrate our graduations this way, but we know God has a plan for us. We are incredibly proud of each other's accomplishments and refuse to give up hope. I recently graduated Williams College with Honors, was elected to present the class history, and even won an award in honor of my leadership and citizenship. I have my dream job lined up in LA and my start date is later this summer. My sister graduated with her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and created a wave measurement system for a hydro-electric power plant in Brazil as her senior project. She is an incredibly bright scholar and engineer and will be starting her masters at CSULA in mid August. Both of our futures are bright, but for now we need your help.
We found out this morning that our mother has closed our bank accounts without our consent, including a savings account I began in order to move out before I start work. We flew into LA last night, and will be bouncing between friends houses and "camping" until we can find a more stable living situation. We have with us the clothing in our suitcases, our two dogs, and our favorite books.
We plan to use the funds raised to pay for an apartment, Cecilia's upcoming tuition bill, food, and gas. After that, I will become financially responsible for my sister, our two dogs, and our future home.
Thank you so much for reading this far, and for your support in this difficult moment in our lives. We haven't spoken out about our home life publicly before and want to make clear that we love our family. We have both been outspoken advocates for friends who have similarly lived through abusive relationships. Today we are taking our lives back and making the decision to break what has been a never ending cycle of abuse. We are safe, we are supported, and we are hopeful.
Organizer
Isabel Peña
Organizer
Anaheim, CA
