Marlena is a friendly and outgoing community leader, building relationships in her apartment complex, sharing donated food with others who are also struggling there, making connections between people who share similar challenges to help find solutions, and keeping people company who have been lonely and isolated. But now she is facing the possibility of homelessness and we're not going to let that happen. Hi, my name is Theresa and I'm the creator of Mutual Morris, a mutual aid group that has been working across Morris County, New Jersey since early 2024. I'm raising funds now for my colleague and friend Marlena, who came to us in April of 2024 in a time of need for herself but who quickly became a volunteer and active member of our group too. Marlena receives Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and is currently unable to work. She has been navigating the system for a long time and has applications pending at every agency, every program that can assist with rent, utilities, food, and so on. It is not as easy as people tend to think, and it is never fast enough. She has been on a waiting list for affordable housing for a long time. Her SSDI is under review and requires overwhelming amounts of paperwork and proof of qualification. She needed nearly $200 to pay for an appointment with a psychiatrist to re-affirm that she meets the qualifications for being disabled. She must use Uber to get to appointments as public transit is seriously lacking in the area and the free rides programs are inadequate and can't always meet her needs either. Her income from SSDI is approximately $1100 after Medicare costs and her rent has just gone from $1250 to $1450 per month. Her story is not unusual in Morris County. Mutual Morris has met many people in similar situations. The cost of living is too high, it is too expensive and difficult to move, benefits are too low and it takes far too long to start receiving them due to many bureaucratic obstacles and too little resources put into them by various levels of government. Marlena has been going through eviction proceedings since last fall and has gotten temporary help multiple times while still waiting for permanent support to finally arrive. This is an outrage and should never be allowed to happen. The continuing persistent stress takes a hard toll on a person and Marlena has experienced panic attacks, inability to sleep, depression, and various physical ailments as a result of this situation and all the walls she meets as she tries to survive. She, like all of us, deserves to live with a sense of stability and security, knowing that she won't just be tossed out into the street at any moment and that she is loved and cared for by the people who share this community with her. Last week, she went door-to-door for hours talking to other tenants of the complex and got more than 50 signatures on a petition asking the landlord to give her 30 more days to get caught up on the rent. Many of the people she met shared that they are struggling too, and now that they know they are not alone, they are happy to help each other however they can. On Friday, July 28, she had to go to court again and she shared her petition with the landlord's attorney and she won the extra 30 days. And that's why we are turning to you for help now. We have plans in the works for the long-term and we are helping her get attorneys to help with various issues but we don't have enough money to get her caught up in time. None of this is her fault and none of it can be overcome by her alone. We practice mutual aid because we know that we all need each other. Mutual aid is the direct help that regular people give each other during times of need and it has been done for hundreds of years in communities around the world. When no government, charity, or non-profit can help, we must and we do. We have already received $1000 for her from one community member. We have set our goal here at $6100 to cover LFEBridge's fees (approx $300 expected) as well as raise the remaining amount she needs. We will also be holding offline fundraising events and would be happy to hear of any ways you might like to help. I will update this campaign to let you know of any offline donations we receive, but any extra we get over our goal will go toward future months to help her get ahead. Before the deadline, I will be writing a check directly to the landlord with the funds we raise here and Marlena and I will deliver it together.. Our community says: "At some point, we have to ask ourselves if we’re okay with people being without a home, for any reason. Consider the psychological turmoil that Marlena and many others have to endure because of the utter lack of basic, foundational support that meets our basic needs as humans. Consider the cruelty and apathy that must be in place to allow this to continue. Mutual aid is nothing less than a lifeline for thousands of people. Marlena needs our hearts and our help." ~Meg "I feel really lucky to be Marlena’s neighbor. She has taught me so much in just a short time knowing her. I know the saying goes ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ but Marlena is actually a master of so many skills that she could be teaching others if not for this situation that has caused her so much pain. I really want Marlena to live freely and be her sunshiney self without having to worry about how long she’ll have a home. I’m confident, given the wealth that exists in Morris County, that we can meet this goal. Thanks for your support!" ~Jenny There is a lot of poverty and housing insecurity and homelessness all around us, but there is also a great sense of community here and we have seen how we can help each other if we come together. We've done it before, and we know, with your help, we will do it again. You can learn more about our work at https://mutualmorris.com or by finding us on social media @mutualmorris. Our early story is written at https://www.thenation.com/article/society/coronavirus-mutual-aid/ and we have a Linktree at https://linktr.ee/mutualmorris We have helped over 3000 families so far and we won't stop as long as our help is needed.
Artículos relacionados
