Homeless Vet Working to Make a Difference

My name Brie d'Ayr, and I am one of the 50,000 veterans currently homeless in America. One minute, you can have a great job, be active in local politics, and have your future laid out in front of you, and in the next breath, lose all of it. Homelessness knows no race, gender, background or financial circumstance, and I am proof of that. If you're here, chances are you saw my tweet about the Nevada GOP Electors suing me, along with the other Democratic Electors - in an attempt to circumvent the will of Nevada voters and hand an electoral win to Donald Trump. 

Since news of this baseless suit broke, hundreds of people have reached out and offered me support and financial assistance. While the outpouring of kindness and generosity has been overwhelming, I'm reminded that compassion and humanity aren't lost, and my faith in people has been restored. I've felt uncomfortable with all of the suggestions to create a campaign to assist me through this, and therefore been reticent to accept help, especially when there are so many other veterans out there that need homes, jobs, and just one chance. 

But, then I remembered the words of every flight attendant - "put your mask on first, before you help others," and as a believer in universal intervention, perhaps this is an opportunity to use my unexpected platform to make a real difference.    

So, still a little unsure about this, here goes nothing.  I am starting this GoFundMe to help me yes, get back on my feet, but more importantly, to put myself in the position to fulfill a lifelong dream of helping other homeless vets and hopefully spark a long overdue movement. 

I want to be fully transparent about what this money will be used for. I do not need money for a legal defense, as the Biden Campaign attorneys are providing legal assistance to me and the electors named in the suit in the event that the Court doesn't throw it out quickly - as we hope they will.

With respect to the personal use aspect, I will use the money for a deposit on a home so that I can give my friend her guest room back, some basic furnishings, day-to-day bills and food, and to be self-supporting as I continue with my job search. 

The bigger and more impactful project that I plan to undertake with the bulk of your donations, is to mount an initiative to end veteran homelessness from a grassroots and veteran-led standpoint. I know vets and I know homelessness. I know their pain and their daily struggles, and I know what we need to do as a society to start addressing this issue. What I appreciate most about this unexpected opportunity is that I can leverage the current revolutionary climate to bring much needed attention to this as well, and I am committed to continuing the fight for veterans by advocating and lobbying for them both at home in Nevada and in DC. I will work with the connections I already have, and will work tirelessly with Vet Voice Foundation, Veterans for Peace, the NRDC, and other groups. I can even partner with the League of Women Voters to implement a plan that provides the missing piece to the homeless situation in Nevada: not enough beds. I will also pay particular attention to the unique needs of women vets  and women victims of domestic violence who find themselves in a similar position.

For those of you who choose to contribute, I will never be able to express my gratitude to you, but I do promise to pay it forward. I need to stress that given the economic challenges so many Americans are facing right now, please only contribute if you truly have the means. I don't want anyone putting themselves or their families at risk for me.

Please remember that homelessness is a complex issue, and it really can happen to anyone-anytime. I'm very grateful to hear so much concern about me personally,but I'm ready to seize this opportunity to move beyond the conversation in to a solution.