#Community support

[queeringhope]

We can improve (not just restore) our democracy in so MANY ways! ALL are valuable!

#Repost @gogreensavegreen

You might be more than one. You might be different ones at different times. 🫶🏽🫶🏽 you might not be one of these. There are more roles 💪🏽 but this is an amazing intro.

You can’t just like the idea and envision yourself in one of these roles you have to figure out how to be about it ♥️🫶🏽

Via @deiloh & @fablefulart

[victusinveritas]

[sobeautifullyobsessed]

First, thanks to a couple of truly kind Mutuals 🥰, I have enough money for groceries this week and next, which is a huge and welcome relief!

a bit of good news -

I was able to get an advance on my pay (thank heavens!). It will cover most of the cost for a room for June 15-21. So I still need to raise a bit more to pay for the full week, by this Saturday night:

$0/$147

My heartfelt gratitude goes out for donations of any amount and for reblogs of this post!

outlook dire for June -

At least for now. I've put this off for as long as I could, but as much as I hate resorting to it again, I have to ask for help.

I spent the last of my resources yesterday to pay for a room this week--leaving me with literally $5.60 to my name. I'm rationing my food right now and will likely run out by Wednesday suppertime (which also means no birthday cake tomorrow, let alone even a slice). Trying my best to stay upbeat and not worry about what comes next week. While praying that I can get some sort of advance on my pay (which is complicated by the fact that my State I.D. got lost on the way to a friend's address it was supposed to be forwarded to; Management is not inclined to make an exception for the transaction without it). So, any donations would be greatly appreciated, along with reblogs of this post...and of course, your prayers.

Ultimately, I'm also going to need to raise some funds to cover lodging for next week, as I don't get paid again until June 18th. I will be reblogging this post daily, so if you don't want to keep seeing it, you can block the tag #coping with homelessness.

As ever, thank you most sincerely for any help, in any form, that anyone can give! 🫶🫶

[reasonsforhope]

"Across the country, thousands of public schools face closures due to low enrollment. 

But Detroit, Michigan-based nonprofit Life Remodeled is welcoming vacant schools into a new era.

The organization, which has invested $51 million in revitalizing Detroit neighborhoods, primarily works to purchase vacant properties and work with dozens of area organizations to provide life-changing resources to community members.

Its first remodel — the Durfee Innovation Society — opened in 2023. A former elementary and middle school, the building is now what the organization calls “an opportunity hub,” providing resources like after-school programs, career preparedness, and support in accessing healthcare, financial literacy, and more.

“The Durfee Innovation Society is an Opportunity Hub,” Brandy Haggins, the director of the project, told CBS News. “We call it that because we’ve taken an old school building that probably would have set back vacant, and we housed it with the best and brightest nonprofits in Detroit.”

She continued: “An Opportunity Hub is a place where individuals can come and get opportunities that they deserve, that they probably otherwise would not have access to.”

The building is home to over 35 organizations, including Nursing Detroit, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Starfish Family Services.

Since it opened, the Durfee Innovation Society has provided 3,400 Detroit students with after-school programming, 5,600 with job opportunities, and 13,400 children and families with resources and support. 

Ultimately, the organization says, 22,000 Detroiters take part in Durfee’s programs every year.

These numbers represent exciting milestones, but they are also in competition with what Life Remodeled is up against.

According to the organization, 88% of third graders in Detroit read below grade level. 30% of Detroiters can’t access the healthcare they need. And Detroit residents’ median household income is 50% less than suburban residents.

School closures impact low-income communities hardest, with low enrollment rates causing school districts to consolidate resources — and infrastructure.

In 2017, Durfee Elementary School merged with a local high school, and Life Remodeled swooped in to save the space.

“It’s not just community history; It’s personal history for a lot of people,”  Haggins told CBS News in 2024. “What better way to work with the community than to reopen their school building into something that still belongs to them?”

The services available at the hub are free to anyone in the community. Nonprofits housed there pay for their space “at cost,” meaning they only pay what it takes to keep the building up and running.

It’s a model that seems to be working.

“The best part about being involved is seeing the actual change be made,” Charles Spears, the youth alliance president for Durfee Innovation Society, told CBS News. “You know, a lot of people talk about it. But when you get to see first hand, you actually see what is happening. It’s just like, wow, there is literally opportunity for all.”

Now, Life Remodeled is onto their next project: another “opportunity hub” on the east side of Detroit. The new property, formerly Winans Performing Arts Academy, is a 90,000-square-foot space that plans to open in December of 2025.

It’s called Anchor Detroit, and it’s located in the Denby community — an area in which residents “face significant poverty and lack access to opportunities related to educational attainment, job opportunities, and health and wellness resources,” according to a press release from Life Remodeled. 

More than 50,000 square feet of the space will be leased by nonprofit partners, who will bring more after-school youth programs, workforce development initiatives, and health resources to the area...

Anchor Detroit is currently being renovated to prepare for its reopening and will reportedly include a “significant presence” for arts and culture programs. 

Once it opens, Life Remodeled estimates the new space will support 18,000 community members per year.

“This should be a nationwide model for other schools that have closed across the country,” Haggins told CBS News. “I think taking a school building, or any historical building that means something to a community, and repurposing it into something that’s for the community — that’s huge and necessary.”"

-via GoodGoodGood, February 5, 2025

[thatdisasterauthor]

Need a little help

I was trying to hold off on asking for help in hopes things would be fixed sooner rather than later, but unfortunately the issue is still an issue and AT best it won't be resolved for another couple weeks. (And even then it'll probably only be partially resolved for awhile longer.)

Without getting super into the weeds of the problem, due to how old the paycheck system for the Forest Service is, I'm getting shorted about $381/check. So far, I've been shorted about $1,600 total. I will eventually be getting that money as backpay, but how and when is a total mystery at this point. This has nothing to do with the current administration, it really is just because the FS pay system is so janky and outdated. (Though I'm sure it would've gotten fixed faster if so many people hadn't been forced out of their jobs...)

I'm hoping to raise about $1,000 to help pay a few of the bills I've fallen behind on due to this issue, and tide me over until the issue gets resolved. Any amount really does help. I'll reblog this post with more details if anyone wants them, I just want to keep the core post cleaner.

Thank you to anyone who donates, or even just boosts! I'll try and keep this initial post updated with the total.

$628/$1,000

Donate here.

[feastofchildermass]

Public libraries are a blessing that want to help their communities. Mine has over the past few months been putting on free hot drinks in the mornings. This is tea, coffee, cupasoup, a fruit tea, a decaf tea, little uht packets of milk AND soy milk, as well as free little biscuit packets like you might get at conferences.

It isn't the best coffee in the universe, and uht milk might taste utterly ghastly, but you throw in an extra sugar and dunk your chocolate biscuit like your life depends on it.

There is something about faffing about with the library's push top hot water samovar - where there is never the right amount of pressure to apply without splashing tiny pinpricks of boiling water onto your hand - that makes you feel deeply grateful to this institution for looking after its people.

The weather is turning cold again and there is absolutely nowhere to sit in my entire neighbourhood where you don't have to pay or be fully exposed to the wind and rain. Here anyone could come in, grab a book or a magazine, make a golden vegetable cupasoup and relax for a few hours.

My library has already had to go down to closing three days a week because of the fucking council cuts. But these buildings are a blessing. Please use them, love them, cherish them.

[love-ardour-anarchism]

sorry y'all (not sorry) I just heard about the "unemployed friend" meme and I gotta say, yeah, I'm the unemployed friend.

i'm on an actually surprisingly livable disability pension (yippie, till they slash it) so when I'm not busy doing ALL the shit I need to keep my fairly low standard of living up by jumping through all sorts of hoops, polishing psych ward and doctors office doorknobs and begging the government to let me live another year I'm THAT unemployed friend

things I've done within the last year or so that are a bit random but cool:

clean up a bunch of fashy graffiti and stickers just as I walk around town on my silly little mental health walks

ask a local retirement home for a ladder to get rid of some particularly nasty stickers WAY up high (prolly shouldn't tell them I'm a LITTLE mobility impaired and def shouldn't be doing those kinds of impromptu acrobatics)

repair a bench in front of a grocery store that senior citizens sit on a lot that became a safety hazard because it was broken and the store claimed it was "the city's" and the city claimed it was "the store's"... i just went there with a powered drill and some screws and fixed that shit

helped a neighbor do some laundry just cause, also learned that the washer/dryer situation in the building is shit so I offered my personal washer/dryer for use

removed some fash graffiti that was on the back of the door of a government office only for the gov workers there to proclaim me the savior of the broken or some shit which made for a very funny conversation as I stood there with my "acab antifascist" punk patches

first email then call a local government branch incessantly to tell them about ALL the ways their website is fucking broken and inaccessible, then got to talking with them about the specifics which they said they'd relay to their IT department which then proceeded to email me back to let me know their website's fucking broken links are "client side" (sure lol)

paid for some guy's bus fare and had an argument with the bus driver who wouldn't let me use my "my support worker rides for free with me" bus pass cause that random old man who doesn't speak good German "isn't my support worker" when the bus driver was about to call the cops on me for "fraud" I just smacked down my pay card and was like "okay I'll pay for him then", the old man then blessed me and said I'm going to heaven and my "husband... or wife" is very lucky to have me

almost got mugged but when I joked with the 4 guys surrounding me while talking to me aggressively they suddenly eased up and were like "you're cool, actually" to which I responded with "haha cool I thought I was gonna get mugged" to which they replied "you were" so I just smiled politely and walked away in a leisurly pace

given a guy some rolling tobacco, papers and no cigarette filters because he doesn't like the taste and been given a VERY expensive chocolate in return because I refused his loose change in return for the loose handful of tobacco and 1 rolling paper, I offered him the whole open bag of tobacco and he said no he doesn't smoke

removed ANOTHER shitty graffiti (there's too many of those, geez) and got asked by a guy if I'm "from city council" (imagine me, wearing combat boots, a punk vest and covered in tattoos) which I responded to by saying I deny any such allegations. man who asked thought that was very funny and asked if I take tips, I said I don't, he was disappointed and left.

So yeah, I do a little mischief and a little community service when I can

[punkrockbuttrfly]

Disabled Trans Woman In Need

I am sorry to ask this of everyone but I really need help. Please bear with me I have never done this before.

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2025

My name is C and I am a disabled, mentally ill trans woman who currently has single digit money to her name.

My disabilities make me unable to work full time, and my part time jobs were supposed to have started by now by my references will not get back to my prospective employers so everything has stalled. I am currently living on job seeker's welfare, which is not enough to cover everything I need. I am working on getting disability welfare but the system is designed against us, and I will have to wait weeks to months to see any results, good or bad.

I have moved house twice in the last few months, from a town in Conservative heartland to a city with a thriving trans community because I would not have survived any longer in that town, but moving house is expensive and as stated above I have been unable to find employment.

My welfare doesn't come in until the 6th of the month, and is dependant on me turning up to appointments with a job centre. However, because of my disabilities I have to take public transport, and currently I cannot even afford the bus ticket to get me there, so even what little money I am waiting for is in danger.

I owe £1500 for what I borrowed to help me move house, £500 to my old water provider, £200 to my therapist, and need something to get me to the end of the month.

As I cannot walk without a cane and cannot go far with one, I am unable to regularly leave the house to earn this anywhere, and so I am turning to the kindness of strangers and community in hopes this will help me. I really have no idea what else I can do at this point.

If you can spare any aid it would go so far to helping me, but please only donate if you can afford to do so. Please also share this post if you can.

£0/£2500

P3ypal here

Thank you very much

[squawk-box]

URGENT: Seeking Shelter in California/LA Area

Hello, I'm in a tough spot and I need help. I'm in California, specifically Los Angeles, and I need a aplace to stay to avoid being on the streets, as my stay at this shelter is nearly over.

If you or someone you know are looking for a roommate, or have a couch I could crash on, I would be extremely grateful. I'm open to anything that'd keep me off the street.

If you have any leads or can offer any assistance, please send me a message. It'd mean the world to me. Thanks in advance.

[ashe-yname]

Honestly I've gotten a lot of shit in my life for being a feminine trans man, but not a single bit of it has been from other trans men. I consistently get people talking about 'ALL this toxic masculinity' in the transmasc community and i agree, but i think its greatly misunderstood.

i do not think there is a trend of trans men being misogynistic assholes to people around them (not that there aren't indivuals) but there is definitely a huge trend of trans men being MASSIVE ASSHOLES to themselves.

I've never had a trans man tell me I can't wear pink or like bows or skirts, never had an issue with them treating me as less than or degrading femininity. What I have had the experience of though, is trans men constantly being afraid of expressing any sense of emotion, or worrying about their hair being slightly below the ears, and lamenting having to give up painting their nails.

Mind you these are the same men who have whole heartedly encouraged my gender-expressions, helped me try on skirts, even painted my nails for me.

And yet they can't even fathom the concept of letting themselves do the same without thinking it makes them 'less of a man'.

I've heard a lot of claims online of trans men being spoilt/entitled/not suffering enough and gods knows what else, over the past couple of weeks. so i just wanted to say:

TRANS MEN NEED TO BE NICER TO THEMSELVES.

[hiddenhearthwitch]

I know a lot of us are feeling worn down, with hope and optimism feeling just out of reach. Maybe we're not quite ready to think about the future or about "what’s next." We’re too tired, too weary, just trying to get through one moment at a time.

But one thing I’m certain of is the strength of our community—the people who look out for each other, who believe in a kinder, better world, even on days like this. I have faith in those connections, in the people who keep showing up for each other.

So if you're in that place too, where rallying just isn't possible, it's okay to rest. Hold onto the love you have, the people who see you. Let that be enough for today.

And if you need extra support, remember there are resources like the 988 hotline. Don’t be afraid to reach out. Just know you’re not alone, and there’s space for whatever you’re feeling. We’ll figure out the path forward when we’re ready, one step at a time.

[loversarcanas]

im humiliated having to ask for help Again but circumstances are dire

I'm at risk of having my electricity turned off AND being late on rent for 2 months running, and I can't afford to play catch up by the end of the month

not only are rent and electric due urgently, but my pipes have been frozen for 3 days and I don't have access to water in my home. I'm surviving off plastic water bottles

I get paid on friday and will get around $400 to cover some, but not all of this. I'm still the only person working currently while my wife is in outpatient, and I have five bunnies I'm trying to keep warm

ANY help I can get will be greatly appreciated, I'm even willing to do short ficlets in return if people want, I just can't handle this alone

cashapp: $moonbunny19

venmo: moonbunny19

paypal.me/lunastrea (please ignore my deadname)

bunny pics for tax

[giggleesblog]

hi guys! i’ve never done anything like this before, but i’m trying to save up for an apartment so i can move out of this toxic household. reblogs are highly appreciated, and if you can help out that would be awesome. literally anything helps. thank you for reading!

reblogs appreciated!!

venmo

[sobeautifullyobsessed]

I'm facing a very difficult February...

Due to the reduced work hours I've been experiencing since the beginning of January, I'm looking at a very rough financial situation in the month ahead. I haven't been able to get a second job because first, post-Christmas no one around here is hiring, and second, I'd have to reduce my availability at Walmart, which they never look kindly upon and will end up getting my current hours cut further. However, it does look like I'll be getting most of my hours back by the end of February. So I just have to ride this out for a few weeks more.

In the meantime, in order to keep a room and not have to sleep in my car, I have to try to raise some funds again. I hate having to do this; I'm both exhausted and incredibly ashamed of having to beg this way. While also realizing it's gotten nearly impossible to raise what I need because everyone has their own financial limits. But in my desperation, I need to try - all the while hoping and praying for a miracle.

I'm housed through Saturday night (Feb. 8) and currently have $13 to my name. My immediate goal is to raise enough to keep lodging from the 9th - 15th, plus have some funds for food & gas (my next payday is the 13th). Beyond this, I hope to raise enough to get me into March.

immediate need: $0/$500

long-term goal: $0/$900

As ever, my heartfelt thanks go out to anyone who can help with donations or reblogs of this post. I will be reblogging this as often as I need, so if you don't want to keep seeing this, you can blacklist the tag #coping with homelessness.

[dayntee]

Re: The Fen'Harem Made Me Do It

I wanted to put this out here for folks to be aware of even though like... most of my mutuals probably know this already.

A bunch of us Solasmancers of various kinds gather together on a Discord server called The Fen'Harem. What you may not know about it is that it's probably the nicest, most chill, most supportive, friendliest online community I've ever been a part of.

No, really, we're like aggressively supportive of one another. When you're feeling down or self-critical, you will absolutely be hit with a deluge of supportive messages, digital hugs, and kind words. It's sort of incredible.

Anywho, there's a good chance if you've read more recent Solavellan (or Solas anything, really) fanfiction and sometimes fanart, you've probably come across one of the authors/artists that hangs out or lurks in our halls. You might have even come across the following tag:

#The Fen'Harem Made Me Do It

This tag's starting to see use on both AO3 and here on tumblr (maybe elsewhere like BlueSky, but I haven't checked). What it means is that the person posting likely is on that server and/or that server is directly responsible for harassing supportively inspiring that work into being.

My own fic, That Year at Arlathan University, is just one of many examples of this. For real, I would have never come up with any of these ideas without the Fen'Harem. I certainly wouldn't still be writing it without them, either. I fell back into Dragon Age fandom with Veilguard at launch; that I'm writing the same crack story almost half a year later is kind of insane. And I've genuinely made some lovely friends that will have a hard time ever getting rid of me now.

(You know who you are.)

This community is incredibly talented and have helped me with innumerable things:

Getting through a very rough depressive patch with unemployment

Helping me get over my fear of writing and posting smut

Inspiring me to be more sex positive overall (which, truthfully, has had an incredibly positive impact on my health and marriage)

Giving me a group of friends I love and know are always there when I need them... and know that I'm there to do the same

I'm a community manager by trade, over ten years of it. Take it from me when I say that these sorts of communities are precious, rare, and take a lot of work to maintain, especially as safe spaces that happen to attract a lot of marginalized folks (fandom do be like that). I'm always grateful I have this place, and it's hard for me to not check in on everyone at least once a day.

This ended up longer than I intended, but TLDR:

Go read our fics here because holy shit everyone is so goddamn talented.

Join the server if you need a place to scream about the egg and never be judged for it. Trust me. We have egg.

The mods deserve a special level of love and appreciation, because they keep this boat safe and afloat and I honestly don't know what I'd do without it

Always put in what you get out of a community. Fandom is a space of giving and taking, and the Fen'Harem is one of the purest forms of that I've ever seen.

And to the rest of the Fen'Harem, ya'll just need to know: I love you guys. 💖