A few months ago, a radical activist got word of me needing a place to stay and offered me a rent-free place to stay with no stipulations. He framed it as a place that I could relax and be comfortable while I try to get my footing. I moved in August. Since living here, I have been trying to get a job, but the market has been difficult in Michigan. I’ve sent a total of 1000 applications, and no job response. I tried going to trade school, I even tried Ubering, but since I don’t have a car, and none of the rental places near me have cars, I wasn’t able to raise the money for myself. I have been looking for work for 6 months, but I never gave up.
Last week, I got a message from someone saying my roommate, and the owner of the house, had gathered a group of individuals in a chat to figure out how to get me out of his house without notifying me of his plans. He has told them he is mentally unwell, and he thinks his mental unwellness has something to do with me being in the house with him, and he is worried that he won’t be able to control himself when it comes to his emotional breakdowns (something I have overheard him talking to friends about on the phone since I was alerted of this decision from him)
These individuals are trying their best to help me, but their resources will take a long time to receive (most programs have a timeline of 5-6 months before allocating funds or giving housing-some even require a state of homeless for me to be eligible). I am definitely scared for my life, not just for the fact that I might be homeless in a place that is foreign to me. But also, the fact that I’m living with someone who doesn’t know if they can control their actions… I worry not only my safety but the safety of my baby, my little cat named Stella. She’s my world, she’s my reason for staying alive. And I want to keep being with her and caring for her until she passes. I was trying to use this time to write more screenplays and create more art, but I have to focus on fundraising money.
The plan for this money is to: 1) purchase a car so that I can make it to job interviews and 2) take the remaining money and move to another city that mostly aligns with my ideals. I’m specifically looking at Chicago, mainly due to the amount of performance opportunities there, and it aligns with my ideals of filmmaking.
What I do want to say, though, is that I want to thank everyone who donates. I was planning on launching my first book of poetry, Compendium Ephermerum, to the public. However, I’m thinking maybe it would be best to give that to people who donate as a gift, as my show of thanks. The book is very special to me, and it has a lot of my heart, soul and me in it. And I’d liek to share it with you, so you’d at least have something as a thanks.
I appreciate you all even considering helping. Anything helps, from $1 to $100.
*UPDATE: Samekh has safe, temporary housing allowing them to currently regroup. Please consider contributing whatever you can to help lift them up!
