Hello Everyone, First, this post is not tech-related. I tell you this so that those of you who choose, can ignore this post.
Second, Cara and I recently learned of the impending housing crisis of Mark Baxter, a list member, and want to help his Go-Fund-Me page efforts by posting a link to the page along with the info provided, to as many platforms as possible. Hence, below you will find the link to the Go-Fund Me page followed by the text that appears on the page. Mark B., on behalf of the entire list community, I wish you all the best and pray that you find what you seek. Sincerely, Mark T. Go Fund Me URL: https://www.gofundme.com/home4thebaxterdpackhomeless-help Info: The Baxters' Emergency "How blind is your husband!", people ask me, because, you see, after I had a near-fatal fall off a steep cliff, resulting in severe spinal cord injury, a month-long paralysis, and over 2 years of intense physical therapy, Mark, the man that spent an entire cold October night seeking rescuers that eventually found us deep in the Redwoods, would be MY caregiver. Mark was born blind. And fiercely independent. But, by the time I met him, at age 43, he was also becoming profoundly deaf. I was 50, and I had joined him, with my own service dog, in Oregon a few years after I had become disabled. We eventually married and settled down into a quiet, simple life, and hoping to get by month to month on our monthly disability checks. Somehow 3 years went by, and times were tough. Sometimes really tough. But we were happy. A tiny little apartment in a small community, keeping mostly to ourselves. But, I continued to need medical procedures and medication and the bills piled up. And Mark became more deaf, so when it was time for Mark to retire his guide dog and get his 5th in 25 years, this time, the dog placement did not go through. Mark was deemed totally and permanently disabled, and was relieved of his student loans. He continued to care for me as I went through the excruciating process of learning to do everything all over again, from walking, to showering, to limited every day activities. I got off all the pain killers on my own, but I rarely sleep more than an hour, and Mark frequently has to wake up during the night to help me move my limbs. The pain never subsides. And the bills never stop. And Mark's hearing is all but gone. Still, we found happiness here. I was his eyes and ears. He was everything else. Now, this little old apartment complex, with just 8 run down units was sold, as we knew would eventually happen. What we did not know was the tailspin we would soon find ourselves in. There is a major housing crisis in Oregon, particularly here on the Oregon coast, and suddenly everything is being bought up, cleaned up, and re-rented at much higher costs. The problem is, for us, there is NOTHING affordable for rent anymore and we we evicted (A "No Cause" eviction), because after so many years, we didn't happen to have a lease. We learned a little too late about Oregon's housing crisis, and we find ourselves the "poster family" of a heated political debate with Oregon's HOUSE BILL 2004. We spent every single day trying to find ANY place to live within the area and found absolutely nothing but tons of OTHER people looking for places too. We had never applied for low income housing because we were getting a super deal. Turns out that ALL of the low income housing has about a year or more waiting list. PLUS, my credit is not so good. Plus, I have a German Shepherd Service dog and although it is unlawful to discriminate for that reason, it STILL happened. Over and Over. PLUS, we found out that this particular area just happens to NOT have any shelters, or resources. We spoke to the Coalition for the Homeless, the Public Housing Authority, Community Action, the Department of Health and Human Services for the aged and disabled, every real estate agent and property management company, legal aid, and on and on and on. So, here we are. Time is up. We do not have savings, or assets, or credit, or resources, or any way of avoiding being homeless. We have been informed that a 55 year old physicality disabled woman and a deaf/blind husband, homeless together, even with agencies or services in place have a poor chance of surviving very long, and we are in a horrible place, in terms of services, relocation options, and other safety issues. We don't want to "profit" from a fundraiser and we aren't trying to be political activists. We just desperately want to go somewhere we can survive! We started out with nothing, and we still have most of it left. I can't hitchhike. My husband can't drive a U-haul. I'm not sure how much I can expect my Service Dog to endure, before it seems irresponsible as owners. We have tried to make the best of everything. And we will stay together or go down together, but sometimes we just have to ask for a helping hand. Thank you for reading this and thank you for anything you can offer. Even your kind words are cherished. Feel free to find me on Facebook or Twitter for more. And my YouTube channel! Thank you! -- The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: [email protected]. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at [email protected] The archives for this list can be searched at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VIPhone" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/viphone. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
