Help Disabled Queer Until Disability Hearing (Nov)

Welcome, and thank you for taking the time to consider donating to this fundraiser. My name is Avery, and I'm a newly disabled person living with multiple conditions that create severe pain and fatigue and severely limit my ability to work or enjoy most of the activities and outdoor communities I've been a part of in the past. While I wait for the state to decide if I am “disabled” I am not receiving any income, and am unable to work. I applied for disability in June of 2021, and have finally received a hearing date for November. I have been without income since the pandemic relief payments ended in 2021, and am heading into the month of September unable to pay rent.

In addition to my new physical disability, I am a queer survivor with PTSD, and stable housing is something I haven’t always had, and I'd like to continue living where I am. The apartment I am in now is rent-stabilized, on the 1st floor, and within a block of an accessible subway station.

In my life, mutual aid has been a reciprocal and imperative part of my connection to my community, and I'm now asking for your help after exhausting all of my options with the state, grants, and scholarships. I was gratefully granted a sizeable scholarship at the New School, making it possible for me to return to school. I also applied for and received a new scholarship for 2022-2023, (!!!) but it doesn't cover housing expenses.

I remain hopeful that I will be granted disability status, and I'm grateful to be working with a lawyer for my hearing. But until then, I remain reliant on the kindness of others.

Please share, donate, or reach out to me if you have any suggestions for fundraising and resources.

Additionally, I will be doing another Postcard Project for the month of September. TIMESTAMP UNKNOWN: grief in a world that doesn't stop will feature four available postcards, with a new card posted weekly. If you want to participate, you can donate and pay-what-you-can to send postcards to yourself or friends. If you buy 3 postcards, receive the 4th free-- valid if purchased all together or separately throughout the month of September. Please follow on instagram for updates!

Thank you for your ongoing support!

Feel free to donate via Venmo to avoid Gofundme fees. Your donation will be added to the total on this Gofundme fundraising page. Venmo: @bearjock

Resources to share:

If you're wondering how to start the disability application process yourself, or need more information about the process and the best things to help your case, please use this website. It's been invaluable and answered a lot of questions about chronic pain and how to communicate functional capacity with the state. https://howtogeton.wordpress.com/