Fighting to Stay Afloat After Loss, Layoff & a Totaled Car

Hi, my name is Anthony, and I’m creating this fundraiser because I’ve reached a moment in my life where I can’t hold everything together on my own anymore — and I’m doing this mostly for my dog, my little girl who depends on me for everything.

The last couple of years have taken more out of me than I can put into words.

I was laid off during a leave of absence I had to take because my entire world was falling apart. My partner had been diagnosed with cancer and I was taking care of him, trying to hold everything together. And then, one by one, a few family members — were all diagnosed with different forms of cancer. All at once.

By some miracle, they all pulled through… but I didn’t walk away untouched. The emotional weight and fear and responsibility broke me down. My mental health collapsed under the pressure, and I needed time to breathe. While I was on that leave trying to put myself back together, I was notified that my position had been eliminated. Ten years gone. No warning. No stability left.

Not long after, my relationship ended and I lost my home. I’ve been living in a hotel for a month and a half now — doing everything I can to keep a roof over my head and my dog’s head. I turned to Uber, Lyft, and delivery apps to survive. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was enough.

Then last week, my car was totaled in an accident. Insurance hasn’t declared it a total loss yet, which means I can’t replace it, can’t rent, and most importantly… I can’t work. I’ve applied for every emergency assistance program at the city, county, and state level. No responses yet. My hotel payment is due today and I’m out of options. I’m terrified of one thing more than anything else: my dog being affected by this.

She didn’t ask for any of this. She’s my baby, my little heartbeat, my reason for pushing through all of this pain. I cannot — and will not — abandon her or surrender her. I would sleep in a cardboard box on the street before I let her go. All I want is to keep her safe, warm, and fed while I fight my way back on my feet.

Right now, the immediate need is keeping a hotel room for us at about $90 per night for the next few night makes all the difference in keeping us safe. What your support will help with:

• $90 per night to keep a safe roof over our heads

• Food for my dog and myself until I get a replacement vehicle to work

• Temporary transportation while insurance sorts out my car to get to my day job

Anything helps. Truly. Even sharing this page helps. I’m exhausted, overwhelmed, and humbled to be asking, but I still have hope — hope that someone out there might lend a hand while I fight to rebuild over the next few days. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you for caring.

— Anthony ❤️ & my little girl Cataleya