Car/Housing Emergency Help Needed

I'm a 54 yr old, two-time widow (most recently in Jan. 2014) who, after several years of being the sole caregiver to my cancer-stricken husband, was faced with not only losing him (we were soulmates in every way), but also losing our only income, his SSD, the very day he died (they don't pay benefits for the month the person dies, even if that person dies on the very last day of that month).  As it was, due to his illness, there was no insurance either, so I was left grief-stricken and destitute all in one day.

Our car had recently been totaled in an accident on black ice, and while the insurance paid off the loan, there was nothing left for me to replace it with.  Thanks to help from a friend, I was able to have the use of a small pickup truck for about a year, which allowed me to take a job at a healthcare call center about 40 miles from my home in Nanticoke, PA.  After being at the job about 7 months, I was allowed to work from home, taking calls via their equipment and my cable modem. 

Eventually, the friend needed their truck back.  Even though I was now working, however, I was barely getting by between current living expenses (no credit cards - just rent, utilities, keeping the cable on, food, etc.) and trying to pay off the remaining bills from my late husband's illness, as well as a few loans that I'd had from family to get me through those couple of months between when my husband died and when I finally was able to start working. 

This meant I had no money to purchase another car outright (not even a used one), nor did I qualify for any loans (nor could I afford a loan, frankly).  But, since I worked from home at the time, and could access mostly everything I needed locally (groceries, doctor, pharmacy), I got by - hoping that once some of the bills were paid off, I would be able to save up for a car.

But in April this year, my former employer decided they wanted me working in the office again.  There was no way I could comply with this request, as without a car, and with severely limited public transit options in this part of PA, there was no way for me to get there.  Even if I could have spent 2 hours or more - each way - traveling from Nanticoke to, say, Scranton... the office was in Jessup (about 10 miles further north of Scranton), at the top of a mountain, at least 2 miles or more from the nearest bus stop, with only one access road.  It just wasn't possible.   

Making matters worse, the way the public transit works here is unreliable at the best of times, and it shuts down completely at 6pm.  So even if I could have gotten to the office, I would have had no way to get home, as my shift ended at 7:30pm, and they weren't willing to alter it. 

Needless to say, this led to my being terminated from the job on April 12 of this year.  I did qualify for unemployment, and have been living on that since.  I've tried to find other jobs, but most employers want you to have your own transportation because they are well aware of how unreliable the buses are, and that being dependent on public transit means you can't work a later shift or stay for overtime when needed.   Also, because of my physical limits (detailed below), I have to have a job I can sit for - so jobs in grocery stores and the like are not an option for me.  

The unemployment will run out by the beginning of November.  My landlord, however, is not willing to wait to see if I can find a job in the next month, so he's already initiated eviction proceedings because he doesn't want to "get stuck" for the rent, and the judge granted it.   I am required to be out by 10/4/16.  The Sheriff will be here at 10:30 that morning to make sure of it.  

 There is nowhere else I can go.  I've tried finding alternative housing, but no one wants to rent to me while I'm unemployed.  Also, as a "single adult" with no young children, the state's social services basically do nothing to help.  There are a few charity shelters, but those that will accept an older single woman (vs a family or males only) are full, and while I am on a waiting list with them for a spot, that isn't going to resolve my immediate issues.  Public housing, the other "option" for people in my circumstances, is also full.  I'm on a waiting list for that as well, but it could be as much as 2 years before they get to my name.  

I'm not a healthy person.  I have severe arthritis in nearly all joints (hands, knees, hips, shoulders and spine), as well as a poorly-healed fractured vertebrae from the car accident that causes constant pain.  Up until recently, I never considered applying for disability for myself because I felt I could still work, as long as it's a job I can sit down for.   Obviously, due to my current circumstances, it's become necessary for me to apply for those benefits - but it can be anywhere from 6 months to 2 years before the application is approved (if at all) due to the potential for having to appeal an initial denial.

I honestly don't know where I'll be sleeping next Tuesday, or IF I'll be able to even sit anywhere (most places, even stores like Walmart or truck stop locations like a Sheets or Turkey Hill are hostile to homeless people).   I really don't know how I'm going to manage even a few days like that, let alone months or longer. 


My only real hope of resolving any of this is with a car.  If I can get a decent used vehicle that runs, I can not only live in it (at least for the short-term) but also use it to get to and from any job I might find.  I can use a truck stop to shower and a laundromat to keep my clothes clean so that I have a hope to get and keep a job, even while being homeless.   But not if I'm without any way of getting around, or a place to keep those clothes (ie: car trunk), or a safe place to sleep at night and/or keep my phone charged so that I can get calls from prospective employers.

I guess I have waited too long to ask for this kind of help, but that's because I didn't want to ask.  I wanted to do this on my own if I could.  Now, though, the time has run out, and I don't know what else to do.  

The amount I'm asking for is to cover the cost of a decent, small used vehicle (looks don't matter as long as it runs), as well as a small amount to cover the rental of a U-Haul and storage fees for 3 months to get my little bit of furnishings and personal items out of the current apartment before Tuesday.  Finally, anything remaining will be used, along with my final unemployment checks, to keep up insurance on the car, keep my basic cell phone plan active (which includes internet access for submitting job applications) pay for gas and food, and cover the cost of laundry.  Hopefully I can make it last a while.

If you can help, then thank you so very much.  If not, I completely understand... but please do pass on the link to those you know who might be willing to help.  

Thank you all.