Keep Ree in Aus and Making Audios

Hello, everyone

Update, 23.08.16: Thank you so much, everyone! We met and surpassed the goal. The GoFundMe is no longer accepting donations but you can continue to support Ree through Twitch, YouTube, Throne, her merch shop, and Patreon.

Update, 23.06.30: We've reached and exceeded the original target, and Ree and Lupus are so grateful! We're going to leave this GoFundMe up until the original target end date of mid-August, and any additional funds that are donated will go toward any unexpected expenses that come up as they navigate the visa process.

Right off, this is not for me. I am doing this gofundme for my close friend Ree. As a creator of content, both on YouTube and Twitch, she is a source of relaxing, chill vibes, hysterical amusement, and, sometimes, very deep and introspective thoughts. Beyond just her creative side, I know her as a caring and giving woman and someone who is, in every way, very worth all the support that we can give. Please read her statement, below, that covers the why of this ask for help and, if you can and it's in your heart to do so, please lend her your support.

From Ree:

I’ve been living in Australia since August of 2022, after living in a few places in the US and also living for a time in the UK. I moved to Australia for a lot of reasons, some of which were more personal than others, but what I discovered was that I love it here. Australia feels like home, and being here has made me feel more stable and safe than I’ve felt in a long time.

I’ve worked hard to create a comfortable situation - I live with Lupus, another full-time content creator, and splitting things with him makes everything so much easier. Despite the incredibly tight rental market, we’ve managed to rent a great house in a nice neighborhood. I’m able to work but also have fun. I’m happy. It’s not always easy, especially being this far from what I grew up with, but you guys… I am actually happy.

Now that I’m here, I’d like to stay. PROBLEM: the student visa I have is not a long-term solution. Student visas are designed for people to come and then leave again. I need a more permanent visa, which means some significant one-time costs and hoops to jump through, none of which I can do alone. My close friends and family have been great about the hoop-jumping, making plans for what needs to be done. They’ll have my back when the process starts, and I could not be more grateful. That just leaves the cost side of things.

The visa I am hoping to get will cost thousands of dollars in fees and attorney costs. That would be a lot on its own, but getting this visa will also require me to leave the country for a few weeks while things get sorted. I have to do it all by the book, so the expense of travel and living offshore for 2-3 weeks must be factored into the overall cost of the process. All told, this visa isn’t something I can afford by myself. I wish I could, but I can’t.

So what is the alternative? If I can’t get this visa and stay here in Australia, I will have to return to the US and stay with family until I figure out how and where to live. Lupus will also have to make other arrangements, including finding another place to rent. I would most likely have to put my channel on indefinite hiatus and get a regular job again in order to cover the increased living expenses, which means no more streams or audios. I’d have to leave most of my things behind, since the cost of shipping furniture and other items back to the US would be prohibitive. I’d have to give up what I’ve built, everything from my life here to my channel, and go back to square one in a lot of ways.

I won’t mince words. Getting this visa is an expensive and time-consuming process, and if I don’t pull it off, my life will have to change drastically and for the worse. If it weren’t that serious, I would not be okay with this gofundme campaign. But I don’t want to have to leave Australia. I don’t want to lose the life I’ve worked for here, and I don’t want to have to stop making audios and streaming. I love my life, I love this job, and I love my community, and because of that, I’m open to all the help I can get. I don’t have words for how thankful I would be if we can pull this off. Thank you, my friends.

More from Vod:

Thank you for reading through this heartfelt plea for assistance. Even if you can't assist financially, your time and attention are appreciated.

On that note, as much as many may wish to help, please do NOT put yourself in financial difficulty to do so. Ree would never ask for that and would encourage you, as I am now, to look out for yourself and your family first. The time you spend watching Ree's streams or listening to her audios, the comments and likes that you give her audios, and your presence in the community are big helps in and of themselves.

The goal for this visa action is roughly six months out from the start of the fundraiser with a target of $14,000 US dollars. We decided to start planning now to give ourselves the best chance of hitting our fundraising and savings goals.

If we miss the target and Ree is unable to pursue the visa path that will allow her to stay in Australia, then all money donated through this gofundme will be used to support moving expenses for both Ree and Lupus.

Any support you can give will be greatly appreciated by both Ree and all those who care for her.

Take care and best wishes to all of you.

Vod