Notes | Brutkey

#MUTUALAID - urgent housing need for blind wheelchair user

Aurora has been going thru a LOT and she didn't want to bother me to ask me to post here. She was kicked out of assisted living and needs $2,413 by Jan 16 to get safe housing again.

40/2413

PayPal.me/melissarainbow
AuroraEloise on Venmo
$AuroraEloise on CashApp

#disabled #disability #disabilitymutualaid #disabilitycrowdfund #helpfolkslive2025 #helpfolkslive2026 #begpost #disabilityjustice #housing

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

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. 😫

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.

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.

Nat
@nat@kind.social

#MUTUALAID FOR DV SURVIVOR & TODDLER

Grateful to have the latest legal bill paid; now focusing on housing, transportation, and upcoming legal costs. We're being given a car & will need money for insurance & repairs.

0/1500 Car fund
0/4000 Legal fund
0/6000 Safe housing fund

https://chuffed.org/project/replace-our-car
https://paypal.me/natoleander
venmo/cashapp @ natsmith89

#MutualAidRequest #queermutualaid #transmutualaid #transcrowdfund #disabilitymutualaid #disabledmutualaid #helpfolkslive2025 #lgbtq

Nat
@nat@kind.social

URGENT #MUTUALAID FOR DV SURVIVOR & TODDLER

Next legal bill due Monday 12/1, should be under $1k but will definitely need help! I also need a few hundred to be able to take over the car I'm being given (title transfer, insurance, etc).

120/1500 Car fund
0/4000 Legal fund
0/6000 Safe housing fund

https://chuffed.org/project/replace-our-car
https://paypal.me/natoleander
venmo/cashapp @ natsmith89

#MutualAidRequest #queermutualaid #transmutualaid #disabilitymutualaid #disabledmutualaid #helpfolkslive2025 #lgbtq

Nat
@nat@kind.social

Capitalism has trained us to be ashamed of giving gifts that aren't purchased new. We're pushed to feel more obligated to give a gift than to ensure that it's wanted, needed, or won't end up in a landfill within 6 months.

This culture of obligatory gift-giving creates stress, waste, and immense debt.

Nat
@nat@kind.social

So yes, buy secondhand... AND imagine what your rituals and traditions can look like outside of the capitalist pressure to shop. Because if you don't feel the shame or the obligation, you're far more difficult to manipulate.

Nat
@nat@kind.social

✨ Buy Nothing groups
✨ Clothing banks
✨ Thrift stores (look for their sale days)
✨ Facebook marketplace (set max price to 0 or a few bucks)
✨ Clothing swaps
✨ Yard sales / Estate sales
✨ Ask your community for what you need

You do NOT need to buy new clothes or holiday decor this week. You do NOT need to buy new, period!

What if you challenged yourself not to buy anything new for the rest of the year—and nothing at ALL during the national economic blackout from today thru December 2?

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.

Nat
@nat@kind.social

Capitalism has trained us to be ashamed of giving gifts that aren't purchased new. We're pushed to feel more obligated to give a gift than to ensure that it's wanted, needed, or won't end up in a landfill within 6 months.

This culture of obligatory gift-giving creates stress, waste, and immense debt.

Nat
@nat@kind.social

✨ Buy Nothing groups
✨ Clothing banks
✨ Thrift stores (look for their sale days)
✨ Facebook marketplace (set max price to 0 or a few bucks)
✨ Clothing swaps
✨ Yard sales / Estate sales
✨ Ask your community for what you need

You do NOT need to buy new clothes or holiday decor this week. You do NOT need to buy new, period!

What if you challenged yourself not to buy anything new for the rest of the year—and nothing at ALL during the national economic blackout from today thru December 2?

Nat
@nat@kind.social

Gentle reminder that it's okay to start taking COVID precautions again even if you dropped them before.

EVERY infection steals years from your life, either by earlier death or via chronic illness.

EVERY precaution you take makes space for disabled, young, old, immunocompromised, & other COVID-realist folks to participate more safely in society.

EVERY masked event that you plan or host normalizes clean air precautions.

EVERY conversation about COVID safety spreads awareness & saves lives.

Nat
@nat@kind.social

Hey friends, my friend Aurora is in desperate need of #mutualaid. She's blind, disabled and in assisted living, and she can't afford food or a space heater right now. Please boost & donate!

PayPal.me/AuroraEloise1

AuroraEloise on Venmo

$AuroraEloise on CashApp

#MutualAidRequest #helpfolkslive2025 #disabledmutualaid #crowdfund #disability #disabled #crowdfunding

Nat
@nat@kind.social

So how can we cultivate genuine nurture—and discern how, and where, to find it?

1) Nurture can come from within. Self-compassion, re-parenting, and many other forms of spirituality or healing work can be done on our own.

6/

Nat
@nat@kind.social

2) Nurture thrives in authentic relationships. The freer you are to be yourself, to show your real fears, and to be vulnerable, the more you're able to share and receive nurture—including asking for what you need.

7/

Nat
@nat@kind.social

Of course, activism can be a wonderful way to connect with others; the important thing is that we lay sustainable foundations. The quickest way to burn out is to lean on complex, amorphous systems to find validation and satisfaction. If anything, this is work where we must have great wells of emotional resilience to keep going in the face of defeat.

5/

Nat
@nat@kind.social

So how can we cultivate genuine nurture—and discern how, and where, to find it?

1) Nurture can come from within. Self-compassion, re-parenting, and many other forms of spirituality or healing work can be done on our own.

6/

Nat
@nat@kind.social

Humans have a deep need for belonging. When we lack the intimate, supportive community that feeds this part of us, we are easier to manipulate, and less effective in our activism. Many of us try to make up for an inner sense of rejection and loneliness by throwing ourselves into our work—and activism is a particularly attractive option when we lack meaning and belonging in our personal lives.

4/

Nat
@nat@kind.social

Of course, activism can be a wonderful way to connect with others; the important thing is that we lay sustainable foundations. The quickest way to burn out is to lean on complex, amorphous systems to find validation and satisfaction. If anything, this is work where we must have great wells of emotional resilience to keep going in the face of defeat.

5/