Alexander

Hi everyone, and thank you for taking a moment to read our story. We’re two people doing our best to rebuild after life knocked us down — working toward stability, safety, and a fresh start. We’re not asking for a handout, just a hand up. For both of us, life hasn’t been easy. We’ve faced homelessness, loss, and countless setbacks — but we’ve also found strength in each other. Together, we’ve been living in a camper, one vehicle trying to get jobs (one has a job one doesn’t hours are wonky) that will match each others schedule until we get more transportation to get back on our feet and move toward a stable, healthy future. During my senior year, I lived in the next town over from school, staying with a family member on the floor of their soon-to-be nursery in a two-bedroom apartment. I had until the baby came to figure things out. I held my college acceptance for a year, still trying to sort it all out. I went to the college in person for help. I did so much paperwork, making sure everything was right, but they messed it up — wrong departments, missing forms. So I showed up again, organized everything by what went where, handed it all over, and still got no answers. Eventually, I had to give up my acceptance. Back then, I took a school van at 6 a.m. to get to class, and I worked overnight at Taco Bell — 6–8 p.m. to 2–3 a.m. shifts. After graduation, we lived in the state forest (we met jr year) - A family member reached out and said, “I’m planning to get a camper. I’m living in my friend’s house, and he’ll let us park it there until I move in. You guys can stay in it.” After about four months camping on state land, he got the camper. Someone brought it to us, and we stayed there another three months waiting for someone with a truck to move it again. It was a whole fight to get the camper to the property — yes, there were talks with DEC — but we finally did. I was so excited, thinking life would get easier being closer to town. But after a while, it felt like quicksand — like the harder I tried to move forward, the deeper I sank. I cashed in my childhood savings bonds and bought a car, hoping to get a job and some stability. But I had to return it for scrap just before winter — my first car, gone. I didn’t know anything about cars; I was never taught. Let’s just say it wasn’t a good one. It’s been a long process trying to get on my feet. The same family member with the camper had an old beater car they’d driven for a few years, but it had been broken down for a while. They were carpooling with someone they lived with, and when that person got a new car, they told us we could have the old one — we just had to fix it. It was in better shape than my first one, so with the help of two others, we worked on it. It’s finally on the road now — still needs work, but we’re so thankful for it. It’s honestly the most resources I’ve ever had. But now, with the homeowner needing to move their grandma in — and all three of us out by the new year — we might lose everything again. Then it’ll just be us, our beater car, and our dog. Right now, I’m not alone in this. There’s another person who lives in the camper with me — someone I haven’t really talked about yet, but who’s family to me. We’re a team, trying to help each other get stable. Their story is just as important to why we’re sharing all of this. They once were stable with their partner and child. They worked hard — they had a job, and their partner didn’t. When rent was due, the one with the job gave money to the partner to go pay at the front office. They said they were paying it, but instead, they were secretly saving it to move out of state with their child. My teammate found out too late — rent hadn’t been paid, they were in debt, and they were being evicted. The partner and child had already left the state. They lost their home, their savings, and their family all at once. My teammate’s story is heartbreaking but powerful. They once had a stable home, a partner, and a child. They worked hard, supporting their family while their partner stayed home. But behind their back, rent money was being hidden — secretly saved to move out of state with their child. By the time my teammate found out, rent hadn’t been paid, they were evicted, and their partner and child were gone. They lost their home, their savings, and their family all at once. We met soon after through mutual friends — two people at rock bottom, both trying to rebuild. From that moment, we became a team. Together, we’ve been living in a camper, fixing up an old beater car, and doing everything we can to survive and plan for a better future. Now, the homeowner where the camper is parked and our family member lives the inside the house the homeowner needs to move their grandmother in so everyone has to leave and so the family member can take over there camper — and we’ve been asked to move out by the new year. That means we’re facing losing everything again: our shelter, our place to stay warm, and the little stability we’ve managed to build. Still, we’re hopeful. Our goal is simple but huge: What We’re Working Toward • A used RV we can live in and travel with — our shelter and transportation in one. • A fresh start in another state where we can find stable work and rebuild. • Reliable transportation to get to and from jobs. • Legal support to help my teammate fight for shared custody and reconnect with their child. • Long-term stability — saving for an apartment, reliable vehicle, and a real home again. Every dollar — no matter how small — goes directly toward building a new life. Gas, car repairs, food, RV savings, legal fees… every bit helps us get closer to safety and stability. We’re not just trying to survive — we’re trying to rebuild. To heal. To finally create the life neither of us got the chance to have growing up. Our goal is to raise $18,000 to get a safe used RV, make car repairs, move to a new state for stable work, and help with legal costs to reunite family. Every bit goes directly to rebuilding our lives and creating a stable home. If you can donate, share, or even just comment, it helps us get seen and supported. Thank you endlessly for taking the time to read our story, and for helping us believe that a better tomorrow is possible. ❤️