Support Dana Jo and her kids in staying housed and safe

When you reach the point where you've been doing everything you can, including everything you've never tried before and things still are not improving...

It can't possibly be because everything you've been doing is wrong.

I've come to the point now where I'm refusing to let capitalism shame me. So many people are doing everything they can just to survive and managing the guilt that comes with that is just as challenging. I've never been one to ask for help and think I know why, “I had to have done something wrong if I'm asking for help right?” Wrong. I don't think that of other people who ask for help so why am I doing that to myself. I'm not participating in that self shame anymore. The kids and I really need some help.

I've never done this before so here it goes.

My truck died in July and my seasonal job ended in August. I've been unemployed for 4 months now. They offered to keep me on if I accepted a part time position in the hardware department. As a queer woman working in a farm store I had already reached my homophobia and sexism limit. I also wanted something on a bus schedule that didn't include an hour and fifty minute commute each way.

It's been extremely difficult to find a job that works with the bus schedule. I have this new barrier to employment I've never had to navigate before. In the past my barrier was being a stay at home mom for 15 years for my disabled son. I have spent the last 10 years building work history and finding what I am good at.

I'm applying everywhere, revamped my resume and I'm a pro at cover letters now. I met with a job coach and learned new techniques to job searching like, how to fool AI filters and tailoring my resume to fit each job. I learned about "ghost job postings" and that has been the biggest barrier to getting into an actual interview than anything. I've been to two temp agencies too, but I'm still waiting for a bite, an interview, anything.

Finn has been working incredibly hard just to keep us afloat. The buses stop running before he gets off so we've had to rely on my sister to pick him up from work every night since the truck died. He has handed over his entire check every two weeks for nearly 6 months. It breaks my heart to see my son worry and struggle. Finn's hours were cut to three days a week 3wks ago, but it's looking like it will pick up again.

Oh and they raised our rent to $1,800 on the middle of all of this.

In September I did some side work for friends working in their gardens. I felt like I was living my best life for a while, but without a car the logistics were a nightmare. I made enough to keep the power on and help with rent. I'm totally picking that back up in the spring! It's exactly what I want to be doing with my life.

I even sold my canoe and the truck for scrap to pay EWEB in September and October, but I don't have anything else to sell.

During this time Finn's and my bus passes expired and a dear friend purchased 3 month bus passes for both of us! He can get to work and I can get to potential interviews. I have only been able to get 5 interviews this whole time.

Also during this time we experienced death in our extended family that was tragic, unexpected and I still have not been able to wrap my head around it all. Grieving has been put on hold while we struggle financially and search for jobs. I am sure that loss will catch up to me eventually. Moving on from that because I just can't right now.

Also happening during these past 4 months, Riley's mobility has gone downhill so fast. I had come to terms with how it's time to help my old lady dog over that rainbow bridge and that was the first thing I was going to do when I got a job. Her back legs are stiff all the time now and someone always has to be home because she gets stuck and needs help getting up from the floor. She's 18 and the vet said she would let me know when she's not comfortable anymore and I think it's time.

I've applied for rental and energy assistance a few times and didn't get it. I have applied again today and thanks to the help of some very lovely friends "in the know" I'm armed with a pile of new resources to work on. Eoghan's disability might qualify us for rental assistance through the Oregon Health Authority’s Medicaid 1115 Waver Program. I've reached out to his case worker at DDS (developmental disability services) to help me with that. It can take up to two weeks to go through. Fingers crossed.

We are short on rent and need to keep the power, phone and internet on. I would be so grateful if we can raise any part of this. It will go to rent immediately to save our home. If by magic the rental assistance goes through by December 20th, the eviction date, then the raised funds will go to keeping the power on and everything else. Maybe even give Finn a week or two to just breathe.

If none of this works we will be forced to move from a place we've fought so hard to keep and I have no idea where we would go. That one saying about 3 bad months away from being homeless is completely true.

RENT $1,000

CRICKET $120

CENTURYLINK $75

EWEB $200

Extra funds raised could go to:

Gas for my sister for Finn's rides for a month $60.

The 4 months of late fees we owe to our property manager $300.

Riley a vet visit.

Maybe some could go to getting a little car.

But at this point I just need to keep my house.

I've reached my emotional limit on how hard I've been pushing just to survive too. The past 6 months have been like nothing I've ever experienced before. I've learned a lot and I've lost a lot. I overcame my complete anxiety riding the bus. I got smacked in the face with how privileged my life has been by having a vehicle. I grieved my freedom and not being able to get to the forest anymore too. I taught myself about side hustles. I watched the kids hold each other and me with grace and love though this really big upheaval in our lives. And all the stress about having no money at all for two weeks and then having no money again for another two weeks is unbearable. It's like going from "doing alright" to "holy shit" and that's life changing.

This year has brought an incredible amount of loss to my life, but it's also shown me what I'm capable of, the love my kids and I share and all the support I have around me if I'm just brave enough to ask.