Brutkey

Nat
@nat@kind.social
Facebook Messenger conversation between Aurora Eloise and Nat. Nat: Aw ok I'm bummed to hear that. I know we're cutting it really close. What happens if you don't hit the goal? Aurora: I'll be put back on a waiting list. The average wait is typically about 12 to 18 months. My disabilities are a slight advantage, moving me up the list to an estimated wait of 8 to 10 months. I'd be able to stay where I am until the end of February, but the couple i rent from are moving to a smaller space at the beginning of March. I don't have anywhere to go from here but would of course spend the next month searching for somewhere to stay, but it's all very unknowable and murky at this point. Either way, any funds raised will still go to housing or acquiring shelter somehow. b06fc4acceffc643.jpeg Facebook Messenger conversation between Aurora Eloise and Nat: Nat: ok thanks! I hope with 3 (edited to add: now down to 2) days to go we can get you there. There have been several folks really advocating you and loudly sharing your posts, including one person who's donated to you more than once already. Another friend is sharing through her fundraising network. you've got a committed team behind you! Aurora: That's so amazing. Really, I'm so touched. I had no idea. I'm so grateful for you all. Thank you, and please send my thanks to the others who are helping. Your time and energy are such valuable resourcesz and it means so much to me that you are spending them on me. 009af79a9dee289e.jpeg Facebook comment by Nat Oleander Smith Mutual aid. Support protesters, bail funds, immigrant defense funds, people buying groceries. Provide childcare for others in the movement. Wear a mask & practice pandemic precautions to stop the spread of illnesses harming immigrants in detention & causing chronic illness that weakens the resistance. Get to know your neighbors and coordinate networks of care and support. Ask what your POC friends need. Ask what your immigrant friends need. Take care of your own nervous system and co-regulate with your kids. 8333747828766032.png Facebook message text: Yes, I'm so sorry. There's been a winter storm that knocked out my power for a couple of days. It got restored very early this morning. I'm so sorry for my lack of contact but I am so damn grateful for you, thank you for staying up on this for me. We've raised $1,224. I still need $1,190. I have until Friday the 30th at the end of the business day. I'll be doing what I can over here and keep you updated when things change. 💜 5ac9c6302aabfd8a.jpeg | was hoping to use the latest donation toward car insurance, but the check from my DV org toward legal bills will take a few weeks to clear. So all my cash is going toward my lawyer for today's bill. 46ae4d1eb09b49e5.jpg We're also in a housing crunch because our current situation is not sustainable, and none of the transitional DV programs I've applied to have had availability yet. | really need to get a plan (and cash) together in the next few weeks so we can get into safe & stable housing. 7bc11f9f545b0d8c.jpg I'm immensely grateful for the incredible support we've received this year! Y'all are literal lifesavers and there's no way we could have done this without you. You can always give directly or support by becoming a paid subscriber of my newsletter, Impure Leftist. e13d5cb8d533ea24.jpg A white person with short hair and glasses smiles at the camera while carrying a child in a back carrier. They are surrounded by lush green foliage in a forested area, with a dirt path visible in the background. bcbb1b7bc10e493d.jpeg Received message: My update is, | have no house. Lol. Just wanted to check in and oh let you know. (purple heart emoji) Sent message: Omg nooo Aurora I'm so sorry!!! What happened? 3f2477f8205a30b1.jpeg Hey Nat. Sorry no update yesterday. My grandmother passed and I was pulled into a "family meeting" that didn't go well and it's just been a difficult couple of days. Anyway, $20 raised since last update, bringing me to $60/$2,414. I'm starting to feel stupid for even trying to raise this money. 😞 But maybe I'm just trapped in a depression/anxiety spiral. Anyway, sorry for emotional vomit. I hope you're well and I super appreciate your help. 💜 1387aa028258f222.jpeg So I've been pretty hush hush about the state of my life over the last several months. Shame, embarrassment, the usual suspects. It's a long story but to try and sum it up quickly, a sudden change in my insurance coverage forced me to have to move out of the assisted living community. This was 7-8 months ago. I was unhoused until mid October. I found a room to rent while I waited for space to open up at any of the facilities that DO accept my insurance. Well that day came about two weeks ago. I was at the top of the wait list at two facilities. One had immediate availability, but b67628ab648e03da.jpeg because I couldn't afford initial costs and move-in fees, they had no choice but to move me to the bottom of the list again. The other place is a little more flexible, thankfully. They had a list of projected dates that their open units would be ready ready for new tenants, and there are three in early to mid January. Which is good, because the financial hurdle is massive, and I could use all the time I can get. To say I'm already penny pinching would be an understanding. I do the best I can with my disability income, but there hasn't been a month in the last five years that it was enough to live on. That being said, saving is next to impossible for me at this time. So... I'm in a bit of a pickle. 😫 53405407b2aadc0c.jpeg I've spent the last couple of weeks reaching out to charities, non-profits, and any place I can find that offer financial aid. It's been no at every turn. The holiday season is a very high demand time for resources and assistance, so the places that aren't already out of funds aren't able to help, either, as they prioritize families with children under 18, and I can't be mad at that. But I do feel a little lost, and hopelessness is starting to creep in around the edges. So I thought it was the right time to ask for help. a024bd8464d8ffed.jpeg I need to raise $2,413 by approximately January 16th. The initial out of pocket expenses are a lot, but ultimately this is the best, safest, and most stable living arrangement for me with the state of my health, plus, in the long-term, I will actually be living in a place with manageable rent, based on my income. That, to me, is worth the initial fees. But not being able to afford it means that it's others who have to thick it's worth it, too, which I really hope is the case. This is crucial to my quality of life. Most of the world is not built for the blind or those in wheelchairs. Anyway, that's what's going on. I would appreciate any help more than I can articulate, should it come, but I will do my best. bfbdcef980a1204b.jpeg The easiest, most accessible way that anyone can fight back against the billionaire class is to BUY SECONDHAND. Every used item you buy - or give away for free - is a rebellion against the hoarders at the top. Refuse to feed the machine. 709efa520965f625.jpeg "I know these are frightening and even soul-shaking times. I cannot tell you that the tumult will relent, because it will not. But I can tell you that here, on the edge of everything, we are each other's best hope." — "Let This Radicalize You," Kelly Hayes & Mariame Kaba; Anarchist Book Club - Impure Leftist d9d5cdeeb66a9870.jpg