That's what Kossacks are for, right? I'm a member of this community, a regular contributor to the WHEE diaries, contributor to the campaign of Obama 44, Al Franken, a host of candidates and of ActBlue, an agitator and volunteer, and I've just moved to Washington DC to take a permanent job and settle down. And because of a recent auto accident, I am limping badly, unable to afford to take cabs to my posh new job (I got terminated from my contract and none of my insurances have paid as yet), and don't get paid until the 31st. I did not get a relocation package.
And I'm paying rent at the Americana Motel in Arlington (on the blue and orange lines) and taking the Metro, paying $89 a night until I can find a home. I need help, Washingtonians. Follow me over the fold for what I'm looking for and if you are in NoVa, the District, or southern or western Maryland and have some resources I can borrow or buy cheaply... please consider your fellow Kossack.
How did I, a well paid and upper-middle class progressive, end up asking strangers for help in DC?
Well, it goes back to November 24:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
And that's what remains of my friend's car:
Where are my savings, you ask? They are now queued up in my bank account. What happened to my previous high paying contract, you ask? It was terminated on 1 December after I was absent from work on a doctor's sick note for my chest and knee injuries. Why couldn' I stay put in the home I had paid for through end of December? Because, sick and crippled, my landlady, who was angry that I had lost my job and had no way to extend my contract, extend my rental with her, and leaving her with a less-than-pristine basement (due to not being able to pick anything up myself without hiring someone else to do it) threw me out... literally... in a blizzard on the 9th of December.
So where's my insurance company? I have travel insurance with AAA and they told me I had to have the receipts AFTER paying for a rental car and hotel before they would reimburse me. So I'm submitting that now, to the tune of $1,200 (they pay $1,000). Where's my short-term disability payment? I asked my lawyer to review it yesterday since the medical release authorization wants to be able to delve into my mental health status and 10 years of pre-existing conditions before paying out $500 a week for a mere 3 weeks of disablement. So that's $1,500 that is held up until - who knows when.
Where's my savings? I just transferred the last of them to my bank, and I have $600 to last me till the 31st when I get paid.
I need a temporary home, or an apartment that I can move into without a deposit and go to ground till the 31st. I've got a phone of my own, I've got luggage, I can afford to feed myself and have my own medications. I just can't afford to keep burning hotel stay money at $89 a night, and my health is delicate, my walking poor, and I'm still on pain meds.
In the spirit of giving and progressive values, is there anyone living in the District who has a home to share for a mere 2 weeks maximum? I will pay you what I can now and will be glad to pay more later. I can prove my income and my payday. I am bondable, and a member of the Rotary club (though I have no current connections into clubs in this area.) I need to be able to bake and to cook since I have multiple allergies. I will be working most of that time except for the afternoon of the 25th, weekends, and the 31st. And on the 31st I get my deposit and all of the madness ends.
Please contact me at louisev AT zebratta DOT com, or phone me directly at 360-201-7580, or comment below with information or referrals. As soon as I find a doctor I will qualify for whatever handicapped access and resources are available due to my extensive knee and chest injuries, but that too takes time.
Thank you all for listening, for your compassion and caring, and for those of you also invited to Donna Edward's holiday party, I will be there, so please introduce yourself!
God bless us, everyone.
Louise Van Hine