Support Anna-Marie through homelessness

My name is Anna-Marie. For the past 7+ months, my two dogs and I have been homeless in Petaluma, CA. and living out of a car. My current situation has become critical, as I’m on the verge of losing my storage unit, which contains the most precious and irreplaceable items from my life. Inside my storage, are the last ten years of my artwork, and an assortment of art supplies. Most importantly, photographs capturing not only my life, but my friends lives, the legacies of my parents and grandparents, baby books, keepsakes, and mementos that hold immeasurable sentimental value. Both of my parents passed away in the last 2 years, making these possessions even more priceless to me. Losing them has been one of the hardest experiences of my life. I cannot part with the things that remind me of them the most.

The day I finished moving the contents of my house into storage, I took a look around, and felt defeated. It felt lonely, confusing, and frustrating. Little did I know them, things were about to go from bad to worse.

At the same time I lost my house, COVID reared it’s ugly head into my life. My boyfriend of 5 years and I, both contracted one of the first variants of COVID. We immediately became so sick, that we could barely care for each other. I took him to the hospital a few days into our sickness, as it became apparent that something worse was going on inside of him. When we got to the emergency room, I was told I could not go inside with him. So I waited. 7 hours later, he woke me up inside the car, parked in the same spot as when we arrived. When I asked him what the doctors said, his eyes started watering. He was upset, frustrated, tired, and confused. The doctor had spent only a few minutes on his exam, concluded that he had COVID pneumonia, and told him to go home. ‘What?!, Why didn’t they help you?!’ He said that when the nurse couldn’t draw his blood after the 2nd try, she got irritated, and said, as she walked out of the exam room for good, ‘I ain’t getting COVID from him’. 

We parked down the street. I fell asleep, he did not. When I awoke, he was worse. We drove north to the next city, to a bigger hospital. I remember telling him that I loved him so much, and that everything would be okay. It felt like déjà vu. He was admitted into ICU Immediately. I waited in the parking lot for 3 days for him to come out. On the 4th day, I left. He died 5 days later from a blood clot in his stomach, due to complications from Covid. In the matter of a year, my already small family of 4, had been reduced to just me. 

I was overcome by grief. It would have been a whole lot easier then to just give up, and give in. Clarity is near impossible, when you are wrapped up in your emotions, and unable to escape them. At first, every day felt like it was a million hours long. There have been countless days, where all I could do to make it through, was to just exist. 

I was hesitant at first to include such personal experiences in my story. Honestly, it’s hard. I’m laying it all out, AND asking for understanding, compassion, and help. From mostly strangers. Its intense, and scary. If I omitted parts of my narrative, I couldn’t possibly express to someone where I’m at now, and why it’s imperative that I get through this and move forward. Now, when I look at my life in boxes, packed neatly to the ceiling of a storage unit, it’s a reminder of what I’m working for. My dads voice and words help, and repeat often in my head, ‘this too shall pass…’.    

A contribution of any amount will have a profound impact. Your donations will be used to pay the past due amount of storage rent for September (plus penalty and late fees), a head-start on storage rent for October (due on Oct 1st, only 1 day away), the cost of procuring a post office box for 6 months, and to consistently purchasing quality dog food and treats, for my pups. Anything left over, or in excess of my goal amount, will be used to pay things like my car registration + late fees and penalties, car insurance (both have lapsed), and gas.

Your kindness can truly change lives. It is changing the course of my life, right now. 

Thank you for considering this opportunity to make a positive impact.

 With love and respect,

 Anna-Marie Smith, Thunderbird & Sophie