Poverty IS a Progressive issue
The last time I heard from khloemi was the first week of July - the day of my wedding. By the time I returned from my honeymoon, she seemed to have dropped from sight. We've finally found her again, and life has dealt her a world of hurt in the intervening months. Khloemi needs your help.
More on the situation after the fold, but first an introduction. Khloemi has been on DK a long time (however long ago it was that users got IDs like 24739). Besides numerous diaries for Netroots for the Troops, she has guest-hosted Mojo Friday (not to mention the occasional pootie diary). She has also battled severe depression and financial difficulty for years. And times have gotten even harder.
Nurse Kelley (KelleyRN2), who is much more eloquent than me, provided this description of her phone call from Khloemi:
When the phone rang last night and I saw her name on the Caller ID, it was better than Christmas! She's been offline for months - and won't have computer access for at least another month - but she said she's moving today and couldn't break that one remaining connection without letting me know.
Khloemi has been in a dark place. Her landlord stopped paying his mortgage and went into foreclosure, causing Khloemi and all her neighbors to get evicted. With her credit ruined after the love of her life died suddenly four years ago, leaving his young son in her care and the recession in Michigan making it impossible to find work until a few months ago, no one would rent to her. Those evil twins, depression and despair, moved in. The one remaining community health center in her area closed, cutting off her access to medical care and medications.
Khloemi was in survival mode. She cut off every single expense she could, including internet. She worked as many hours as they'd give her at her low paying retail job. She sold things. She saved every penny she could get her hands on. She lost fifty pounds. She and her neighbors, most of them friends for ten years, mourned the loss of their little community and scrambled to find new homes. The one or two places Khloemi found that she could afford to rent wouldn't allow pooties.
Finally, finally, she found a place. It's not much, but it's hers. It's a place where she and the Monster and their four pooties can be safe - if not warm - when the Michigan winter sets in. Today is moving day.
She asked about so many of you, and said to let you know she'll be back. Monster is doing well in college, enjoying it much more than high school. (Thank God for those scholarships!) She sounded exhausted and sad, but I heard a glimmer of hope in her voice.
Khloemi has done all she can to fight back against the depression and her circumstances - she didn't contact us to ask for help, she just wanted to make sure that her last lifeline of connection, her physical location, wasn't lost.
But Michigan winters are cold, and there's little money for groceries, much less for the fuel needed to keep her, Monster and the pooties warm. She also needs help finding medical care, especially medication adjustment for her depression, which is acute right now.
Please help!
Donate any amount, large or small, to help Khloemi buy food and fuel this winter.
Can you recommend a resource in Bay City, Michigan where she can get care for her depression? She has no insurance and no financial resources, and the local community health center she relied on has closed.
Do you have connection with Progressive Politicians in Michigan? Please send them this diary.