Erik Houdini

Two community members are without water, and have been without water for 3 weeks. The reason? Deposit costs, and a stack of monthly bills that add up. Simply put, living without running water is incredibly substandard, inhumane and a health hazard. 3 weeks without being able to flush, 3 weeks without being able to shower, 3 weeks without being able to wash dishes, and 3 weeks without being able to pour something a simple as a glass of water from the tap. The people suffering from this? They are key members of the community here in Lakeland, they show up, they contribute, they make our spaces better with their creative contributions. It's simply unacceptable to have people living in these conditions, especially when it's a matter of a lack of funds. It's a matter of "I work 40 hours a week but paying the back dated water bill would mean not paying rent." They've got a plan, and once the deposit is paid, and the backdated bills? The cost of having water becomes manageable, it becomes part of the monthly budget. What they need is our support, our help, our mutual aid to assure they have access to the necessities of life. Ultimately, these are my friends, and your friends too. Let's show them that no one in our community has to suffer in silence. Let's give them the support they need.

HOUDINI is assisting a trans woman and collective member, Trixie, in moving from Arkansas to a safe location in New Jersey, just outside of Philadelphia. We cannot accomplish this without the support of our audience. Our goal with this fundraising effort is to provide real material support to those who need it the most. These are actions we want to be taking, the liberation we want to be pushing. This is our first actual fundraiser to support someone materially, and we hope it will be far from the last. Heya its Trixie, I would like to first say thanks to Erik and the collective for not only supporting my artistic endeavors but also securing the road of my escape from this nightmare we call a state. Not only is philly a home to a few of my comrades whom im seeking asylum in but, its also home to an art I've yearned to pursue, mortuary science. In helping with this fundraiser you are helping both a wonderful community of very talented artists musicians and writers as well as, giving a member a second chance. It would mean the world to be able to have a proper chance of pursuing a new light! -Through deafening silence comes hopeful harmony Yomadrescque Trix HOUDINI as a collective has grown significantly. Over 200 people are in the official Discord. We average 20k weekly readers for our magazine, and over 750,000 unique visitors. We could never have grown like this without the support of our audience. HOUDINI is 100% audience funded; our money comes from donations, the occasional t-shirt sale, and our monthly magazine releases. Our resources are persistently stretched thin, yet we continue to maximize what we can do with so very little. It turns out you can do a whole lot with some gumption, group effort, and a vision. We've proved that, and we'll continue to prove that. The HOUDINI collective currently supports one full-time organizer (me) who makes a bit less than minimum wage after all is said and done. This fundraising effort is designed to lower the strain on the collective, while allowing us to support one of our biggest endeavors yet: moving a trans comrade from the deep red heart of Arkansas to a safe location in Philadelphia. This entire operation has been arranged by the HOUDINI collective and funded by collective members. However, this move, in combination with supporting a full-time organizer, has stretched our resources as thin as they can possibly go. This is why we've created this fundraiser. HOUDINI promises to use any funds donated for solely two purposes: - Ensure that Trixie, our trans comrade, is able to complete her move smoothly with a small cushion of income to help keep her footing solid as she settles in Philadelphia. - Ensure that the needs of our professional organizer are met, as the move expenses are being pulled primarily from the collective funds that support them. Therefore, we are asking for a total of $1500 to be split between these two purposes. This will allow our collective significant breathing room in terms of day-to-day operations, while allowing a much smoother transition for Trixie from Arkansas to Philadelphia. We're very proud of what we've been able to accomplish with the HOUDINI Collective and the magazine that it runs. We're even more excited to grow, and to see just how much good we can do with our platform. We are redistributing resources to directly save a comrade's life and sustain the organization that makes this work possible. Every dollar you contribute is a direct blow against the system that wants her trapped in Arkansas and wants our collective to starve. This is not charity; it's mutual aid. It's an investment in liberation. Thanks for the support. - Erik Houdini, Founder of HOUDINI