Life or Death Move
Donation protected
I'm chronically ill, and slowly dying of the same thing that killed my mother. I've been actively trying to get treatment in my city for a couple decades and the doctors here do nothing but gaslight me and give me referrals that take years, only to find out that they purposefully sabotaged them. Based on when other family members who had these symptoms died, I have about 10-12 very painful years left if I don't get diagnosed and get treatment. It's hard to say if treatment would prolong my life, but it would greatly improve the quality of my life (which is a higher priority for me.)
I've spent most of my adult life chronically homeless as well, but had finally found some stability for the last year or two. That is ending right now as well. I lost the disability income I was getting through welfare after a county security officer assaulted me and it became unsafe for me to go back to the welfare office. My housing was through my girlfriend who had a housing voucher but just lost it, and she doesn't have the income to cover our expenses without it. The landlord had refused to do repairs for years, and then we finally had called code enforcement - and now the landlord is trying to retaliate against us by a major rent increase. If we had a lot more time and energy than we do, we could fight it, but as it stands we both have too much on our plates to do anything other than just move.
And that's what I need help with. I don't know where I'd go if I stayed in town, and might end up homeless again if I did. Even if I could find a place in town, if I have to put in the extensive energy into moving anyways, I desperately need to move to somewhere that I have a chance to get medical care. Any other place in California has too high of a cost of living, and I can't afford an out of state move on my income. I am moving to where my Mom lives, in Virginia, so that she can help me with some things when I get there.
I'll be able to stay with Mom long enough to find a new place, but I need to keep that amount of time to a minimum. Mom lives in a townhouse, and the bedrooms and only shower is upstairs. I cannot safely climb stairs, so I'll be sleeping downstairs in the living room and will have to scoot up the stairs while sitting when I need to shower. That works on a very short term basis, but I will need a place of my own very quickly.
For the budget: It is cheaper to do the move without a moving truck or service, even with the things I'd need to replace. (This is a conclusion after comparing lots of options.) And the things I need to replace are things I cannot do without - I don't mind having to have my clothes in bags but for my medical situation I desperately need to have an electric bed. I'm not counting anything in this fundraiser that doesn't need to be replaced urgently.
Train - $240.30 - Need this amount by 3/14 to lock in the price.
Food on Train - $150
Replacing Vital belongings - $850
Shipment of Other Things - $300
Getting a new place $1200
So I'm putting the initial goal as $1,500 and if we can manage to make it to $2,700 that would cover everything.
My train leaves on 4/9/19. I need the amount for the train ticket by 3/14 to manage to lock in the price reservation, otherwise it could get more expensive.
The rate that my health is deteriorating, this is my only chance to get out of this city and get the medical care that I need. Any amount you can help out would make a lasting difference on my life.
Thank you.
Rain Chamberlain
they/them
I've spent most of my adult life chronically homeless as well, but had finally found some stability for the last year or two. That is ending right now as well. I lost the disability income I was getting through welfare after a county security officer assaulted me and it became unsafe for me to go back to the welfare office. My housing was through my girlfriend who had a housing voucher but just lost it, and she doesn't have the income to cover our expenses without it. The landlord had refused to do repairs for years, and then we finally had called code enforcement - and now the landlord is trying to retaliate against us by a major rent increase. If we had a lot more time and energy than we do, we could fight it, but as it stands we both have too much on our plates to do anything other than just move.
And that's what I need help with. I don't know where I'd go if I stayed in town, and might end up homeless again if I did. Even if I could find a place in town, if I have to put in the extensive energy into moving anyways, I desperately need to move to somewhere that I have a chance to get medical care. Any other place in California has too high of a cost of living, and I can't afford an out of state move on my income. I am moving to where my Mom lives, in Virginia, so that she can help me with some things when I get there.
I'll be able to stay with Mom long enough to find a new place, but I need to keep that amount of time to a minimum. Mom lives in a townhouse, and the bedrooms and only shower is upstairs. I cannot safely climb stairs, so I'll be sleeping downstairs in the living room and will have to scoot up the stairs while sitting when I need to shower. That works on a very short term basis, but I will need a place of my own very quickly.
For the budget: It is cheaper to do the move without a moving truck or service, even with the things I'd need to replace. (This is a conclusion after comparing lots of options.) And the things I need to replace are things I cannot do without - I don't mind having to have my clothes in bags but for my medical situation I desperately need to have an electric bed. I'm not counting anything in this fundraiser that doesn't need to be replaced urgently.
Train - $240.30 - Need this amount by 3/14 to lock in the price.
Food on Train - $150
Replacing Vital belongings - $850
Shipment of Other Things - $300
Getting a new place $1200
So I'm putting the initial goal as $1,500 and if we can manage to make it to $2,700 that would cover everything.
My train leaves on 4/9/19. I need the amount for the train ticket by 3/14 to manage to lock in the price reservation, otherwise it could get more expensive.
The rate that my health is deteriorating, this is my only chance to get out of this city and get the medical care that I need. Any amount you can help out would make a lasting difference on my life.
Thank you.
Rain Chamberlain
they/them
Organizer
Rain E Ch
Organizer
Fresno, CA
