Help Jennifer Buy a Trailer: A Vet's Fight for Stability

Tl;dr

I need help buying a cargo trailer to convert into a safe, long-term home for me and my cat, Onyx, so we can escape mounting debt and find lasting safety.

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Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya

Wait, no, it’s Jennifer. (Movie quotes and dark humor help when I feel vulnerable. So… expect more as you read.)

I’m a cat mom and disabled veteran. I used to be so much more—but Life Happened in 2018 and 2019, shattering me. Though I’ve fought tooth and nail since, I haven't managed to claw my way out of this pit. Time for something completely different.

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What’s Past is Prologue

In the last six years, I successfully held each of these roles until chronic illness made them impossible:

I’ve tried retail and food service jobs, working until the pain won.

I’ve collected materials to start making things I know could sell—like this quilt I made for my friend—but rarely have energy to work on them.

Currently, my most successful income source is audiobook direction and proofing, thanks to a wonderful client who accommodates my chronic illness. Unfortunately, this only nets around $900 a month. Combined with the roughly $2,000 a month I receive in VA disability, my total monthly income doesn’t quite meet basic needs and I keep slipping further into debt.

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What I’ve already tried

To stay afloat, I’ve decimated over $30,000 in savings and retirement, and taken on $17,000 in credit. (especially painful: I used to live debt free.)

I've sought aid from government and non-government agencies, but:

Warning: rant ahead. Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the US is ~$1,500. Standard income requirements are 3x rent ($54,000/year), yet federal poverty guidelines restrict most aid to individuals earning between $15,650–$32,000. I'd love to see policymakers survive on that. I'll even throw in a free pair of bootstraps. Rant over.

Friends have helped enormously, but this situation has stretched on for years. They have lives too, and I cannot rely on their generosity indefinitely.

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Meet Onyx

A little treat for reading this far: meet my rescue cat. I adopted her in September 2019, asking specifically for a cat tough to home: too aggressive, scared, or cranky. (I’m Gen X and a Vet—I can be all those things )

The first time I met Onyx, I saw a quick flash of black, then she was a tiny lump under blankets for the rest of my visit. She had been abandoned in an apartment in Maryland, in February, with no heat. Given patience, structure, and love, she’s thrived. Our daily routine includes playtime, puzzle toys, clicker training, and carefully timed meals. Spoiled? Yes. As is right and proper.

She still startles very easily, though, and doesn’t deal well with disruption to the routine. She adapts, but it takes time. We both have scars that go deep. And… This may sound dramatic, but it’s the plain truth: if it were not for Onyx I would not be alive today .

So. Where I go, she goes. And wherever I can, I will make it easier for her.

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Why I’m Here

When my current lease ($1,580/month) ends in September, I’m choosing "strategic homelessness" (dibs on the term!). Initially, I planned to live out of my 2015 Toyota Corolla. Alone, maybe—but with Onyx?

So, I sold the Corolla and invested in a ‘22 Ford Lightning—an electric pickup outfitted with max towing features—as the stable foundation we need. Now I need a durable enclosed cargo trailer in order to create a safe home for us.

And if I may risk being cliché: I hate asking. For years, I’ve felt like I’m constantly taking, unable to help others as I once did. But I've reached a breaking point, and here we are. Thanks for coming to my TED talk .

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What Your Support Will Do

Your donations will lay the groundwork for a safe, lasting home, by helping me purchase a 14–16’ v-nose enclosed cargo trailer from a reputable dealer—customized if necessary to include:

My goal of $8,500 covers the cost of the trailer, upgrades, and possibly some initial build costs. I'll manage the rest through salvaged materials, creativity, and Onyx’s supervision. Even partial success helps immensely, reducing financing burdens and setting us on a stable path.

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Skin in the game

I’m not sitting around and waiting for my fairy godmother, I’m already working hard to make this happen:

Identifying resources for the journey:

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Why I Know This Can Work

I'm adaptable. In the last decade alone, I’ve lived On My Own in dorm rooms, apartments, and houses. On Active Duty I deployed three times, mastering creativity in limited spaces.

I’ve even done Nomad Life before, in my mid-thirties—trading my Saturn for a station wagon, spending a summer driving cross-country, camping or crashing at friends’. Now, I’m better prepared, with a high-quality truck, experience, and Onyx riding shotgun. ‍

Lady MickDuff and Bob will obviously come along too

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Jokes aside, this isn't about luxury "van life"—it’s about survival with dignity. I'm taking control to escape debt and an unyielding system. If you believe in second (or fifth) chances, creative survival, or simply the resilience of a determined cat mom and veteran, please donate or share my story. Every dollar and share matters deeply.

Thank you!!

—Jennifer & Onyx