Christine

Hi, I'm Chris. I'm from Minnesota, currently living in Washington State. I'm an only child, got my own apartment at 16, did management-type positions till I got injured at 21. That started my next chapter of adapting after every surgery. I've started businesses, got a degree in automotive tech. I've gotten pretty good at surviving and finding another path as another one disappears on me. I've been told you can't over and over. You can't have, you can't keep, etc. But I still show up. I always show up. I'm the one who's always there to help. I figure things out, and I'm all about having some crazy Siberian Huskies by my side at all times.

My biggest challenge right now is being stuck on assistance. I'm thankful it helped me after being homeless for almost 5 years, but it's not how I want to live. I want out of Washington, I want my independence back, I want to build something that can withstand medical setbacks. I'm not sure what's best to do. I'd like it to be something helpful, meaningful. The question is how do I go from here to there, from SSI and Section 8 housing, medical, to sustainable coverage? There's no protection between the two. And I cannot do homeless again. I've also got a sick 2-year-old husky, Azi, I'm dedicated to getting his needs met. My huskies are my family, my pack, they're my ground, my safe place, my home. What I need is a bridge from between surviving and building.

Financial freedom would give me back my independence and much better mental health. It would give me stability and a place that's mine with a pack of huskies again and the ability to help more of them. It would definitely help my boy Ozzy get whatever he needs. Stability and freedom would make more of myself available to help others find their path out. I'm 56, and most of my life has been about struggles and losses. I don't want to just have survived things. I I want that to help others be in less pain, feel what it's like to have an advocate and not be told can't.

Am I ready? I've been ready. I've changed directions and started over more times than I can count, and I'm still doing it. I joined SubTo even though I don't know the language or where I fit. I've gone to the local meetups, even when I'm incredibly uncomfortable and don't know what I have to offer. I still show up. Uh, that's one thing you can count on with me. I always show up. I might not know what I'm doing when I get there, but I'll be there. I'm willing to learn, I'm willing to be uncomfortable to change direction, and I'm learning to ask for help, which is probably the hardest one. I've proven I can survive. I need to learn how to build. Maybe it could also be a surviving to building story.

You should meet me because you could learn about how much Siberian Huskies rock. I like stories and symbols. Basically, I get handed a bunny, and I try to find a carrot. I dig in and figure something out. This, but this time, I'm feeling lost. A bridge will make all the difference in the world for me. I would would be incredibly grateful for the opportunity, the guidance, friendships that would come from this. What's always gotten me through the tough and hard time hardest of times is a quote by John Bytheway. Inch by inch, life's a cinch. Yard by yard, life is hard. I need those inches to finally start leading somewhere different, please. Thank you for listening and the ability to share. Thanks.