Random Thoughts, musings, and interests of independent journalist Peter C. Frank: Perpetually single, activist and advocate, gay, disabled, brainiac, tech geek, social media influencer, conversationalist, influencer, shopaholic, gadget freak, progressive Republican, politically aware, woke, technologist, futurist, positivity, life, mindfulness, coach, intellectual, human being. #TeamNightOwl #TeamGeek #TeamGay #TeamHuman #TeamBernie #FeelTheBern
It's official: I've officially just been registered as a homeless person in CT's Coordinated Access Network (CAN) for homeless persons. I am not one who has an easy time asking for help but right now, I need all the help I can get.
I would truly appreciate any amount of money you can spare to help me get back on my feet. I can accept funds via the following methods:
Amazon (I can always use gift cards for Amazon to get things I need, such as clothing, food, household supplies, etc.)
I had been staying with the relative of a friend for the past few months, ever since I had to move out of my mother's apartment when she lost her fourth battle against breast cancer. Unfortunately, we both now are homeless and instead of expressing to me what was going on constructively, this person chose to pick a fight with me, as you can see in the video, below or watch on my YouTube channel:
I am now homeless, without money, in a load of debt, and need your help.
This is where I had been sleeping since September 2019:
This is where I've been sleeping for the past few months
since my mother passed away--literally on the floor.
As you can see, I've literally been on the floor. Most of my possessions are gone, having been thrown out by relatives who were "cleaning out" mom's apartment.
The only regret I do not have is losing my subsidized housing in New York when I came up here to Hartford, CT a couple of years ago to help take care of mom when her breast cancer came back a fourth time. I stayed up here so long that I wound up losing my housing voucher, and I don't regret it. When that happened, I began building a life in this area.
Although most of my time was dedicated to dealing with my mother, I was able to join the community in Hartford, CT. I helped out with their LGBTQ pride festival and re-engaged in politics, joining the town's Republican Committee as a progressive Republican.
I'd very much like to continue building the life I had started building up here when I came to take care of my mother. While I don't know very many people and have few contacts, I believe that Hartford, CT is ripe for a rebirth and I look forward to being part of it.
I am so grateful to you for keeping up with me, checking in on me, seeing how I'm doing, and whatever other support and assistance you can provide to help me get back on my feet and start living again.
Shortly before midnight on Monday, January 6, 2020, the woman I'd been renting a room from in an unhabitable apartment (without a stove and numerous housing code violations) at an unaffordable (to me) rate attacked me over a pillow, and now I'm homeless. I managed to record a good portion of the altercation, which you can watch on my YouTube channel:
As you can see for yourself, she comes into the room I'd been sleeping in (on the floor) and begins a huge row with me for no apparent reason.
I am now homeless, without money, in a load of debt, and need your help.
This woman, Rosemary Gordon (aka "Gypsy" as she likes to be called), is the Aunt of a dear friend. My friend introduced me to her because when he spoke about me to her, she wanted to meet me. After my mother lost her fourth battle to breast cancer a couple of months ago, she asked me to move in with her. Given that my other plans fell through, I accepted.
A couple of weeks later she asked if I could help out with paying the rent, and I said I wouldn't be able to afford much but I would do what I could. We agreed that I would pay $250 a month to sleep on the floor of her living room. A few weeks later, she demanded more money, and my friend and she and I sat down and we all talked it out and agreed that I would pay $400 a month (despite the fact that I really can't afford that), and that I could move into the free bedroom in the apartment.
This is where I've been sleeping for the past few months
since my mother passed away--literally on the floor.
Shortly thereafter, Rosemary told me that we were going to be moving to a better neighborhood (one without nightly shootouts and gunfire) and dwelling (the one we were in had serious issues). I later found out that the impetus for this move was that she was being evicted by her landlord and had reached a settlement with him and that we were to be out by the end of November.
We have been "moving" ever since the end of November, except that every time we were to be ready to move, something happened with the new place that delayed things. I've spent hundreds of dollars on movers and moving expenses, and in order to get into the new place, Rosemary told me that she needed me to pay her two month's rent and a security deposit, which I did.
I hired movers twice and had to pay them for showing up and doing practically nothing because they arrived, some other issue always came up with the new place that prevented us from going ahead with the move. Last week we finally got the majority of our possessions out of the old apartment to the new place (which I still have not seen) with the help of more of my money but right when I was ready to go to the new apartment, something else came up that prevented us from going there and actually moving in.
I spent another few days on the floor of the old apartment hoping that this latest delay would be resolved and we'd finally be able to move in and then we were forced to leave by the landlord. With everything in the garage of the new place, we went to stay with a friend of Rosemary who lived near the new home. Once again, I'm sleeping on the floor, which I've been doing the floor the entire time I've been living with her. (I did purchase a bed and mattress at the end of November but left them in the box, as I figured it would be easier to move.)
As of right now, I have nowhere else to go. I have exhausted my monies for the next four months. My bank account is seriously in the red. For the past few nights I've been staying in a cheap hotel, which around here is still $75/night.
I've now run out of money, I have nothing to eat and nowhere to go, and my belongings are in Rosemary's new home. I have other items that are in her friend's home, and I need to get those out of there today.
Ever since my mother's passing a few short months ago I've been in a black hole of triple depression. And then I began watching Bernie Sanders's videos again, and just as it did four years ago, hope took hold of me and I began pulling myself out of the darkness of despair. I began to hope that things would begin to improve in my life. I began reconnecting with people, with my communities. I even attended a New Year's Day dinner event (which I'll be writing about soon).
I began living again, and it felt good! I went to my doctor for the first time in a year (as I was taking care of mom, I wasn't able to keep any medical or other appointments) I was looking forward to having a furnished room to sleep in as well as work out of, volunteering for Bernie Sander's campaign, getting back to writing, and finding a way to increase my income.
Now, I am losing not only that hope but all hope. I really don't want to say this but it just seems as if everything I do becomes a disaster. I can't do anything right. I don't have the means to live life anymore, especially as scraping by off SSDI is not living, and one certainly cannot afford to live off SSDI checks alone in this region of the country, let alone to better one's life. I still face a number of health hurdles.
I hate asking people for help but I really do need it. Any amount you can give me will be helpful--even $1. And I really do appreciate it. I know that there are very kind people out there, and many people in similar situations as myself or on the verge of a situation like mine, facing homelessness.
If, after reading this and watching the video, you could help me out by sending whatever amount you can, I would be ever so grateful. If you can't help out with some funds, then please share my story. Maybe you have a friend who can.
I truly appreciate your kindness, generosity, and love. Maybe I'll get through this. I really don't know. Whatever hope I have is fading. I literally need about ten thousand dollars to pull myself out of this hole.
If you can help me, and I'm able to get set up in a new place (which I'll need help paying for going forward), know that I'll be able to help Bernie Sanders become the next President of the United States this year, and that I'll be able to get back to helping others in my communities.
Thank you so much for reading this and watching the video. Whether or not you can contribute toward my housing relief fund, I'm grateful that you're in my life.
