In August of last year, I reluctantly moved out of Los Angeles (after 12 years). This was a move I certainly fought against, best I could. But the fact was my career in the film industry had (and still has) screeched to a near-halt. So I moved to Erie, PA, - into the spare room of a woman who, decades ago, helped bring me to the United States from a Russian orphanage as a child.
Like many creatives in the post-COVID world, I’ve seen my industry—film, editing, storytelling—contract to the point of invisibility. I wasn’t looking for charity. I just needed time to get back on my feet.
Due to some personal circumstances, I left her house and spent a few weeks in a hotel. I leaned on local kindness. I signed the lease on my new apartment. And for the first time in a long time, I have a real shot—not just at housing, but at healing. Personally. Professionally. Spiritually.
This fundraiser isn’t about furniture. It’s about survival time.
I’m asking for help covering three months of rent, food, and bills—a short runway to stabilize, find work, and rebuild a life that’s mine again. I’ve already done the hardest part: finding a safe place and walking away from a dynamic that no longer served me.
💡Where the Money Goes
Goal: $7,000
🔁 Transitional Needs (3 Months)
- Rent: $3,789 (pay back transitional loans)
- Food: $1,200
- Utilities & Internet: $450
- Cell phone, essentials: $300
🛠️ One-Time Setup
- Kitchen + work supplies: $400
- Rosko (my service dog’s needs): $100
- buffer/fees: ~$300
🎯How You Can Help:
If 200 people give $35, I’ll have everything I need.
If you can’t give, sharing this helps more than you know.
I’m not looking for sympathy. I’m looking for momentum—a short bridge between survival and stability.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for believing in stories that don’t end in crisis, but begin again with quiet strength.
—Yuri & Rosko
