I'm raising money for bus fare back home so I can go to Sault Ste Marie to stay with family and end my homelessness.

Why I'm using HandUp for bus fare back home.

Five years ago I was attacked and ended up in the hospital with a concussion. Since then, I've been sent back and forth between nursing homes. The last home dropped me off at a homeless shelter here in Detroit, and I've been here ever since. I have a cousin in Sault Ste Marie that I could stay with, but I have no money for bus fare. I'm hoping to raise money for a ticket. I just want to get out of the shelter so I can get my life back together.

About me.

I was born in Wyandotte, MI and raised in Westland, MI. I'm 64 years old and I have a bachelor's in business administration with a minor in marketing. Before the attack I was working for Production Tool Supply.

My backstory.

Honestly I hate asking for help like this because I don't like to take advantage of people. It's taken me a lot to even reach out to my cousin, because I hate feeling like I can't offer him anything. That's not how I was brought up. But right now I still have memory trouble from the concussion, so finding work has been hard. You could say I've been nursing home hopping (as opposed to house-hopping), so it's been hard to get any stability in my life.

I don't have much family here in Michigan. Before the attack, I was having some health trouble so I was staying with my uncle, but he has since passed away. My cousin has always been a support, so I'm hoping to stay with him while I get back on my feet.

My goals, moving forward.

My immediate goal is to get some form of income. Right now I'm looking into Social Security benefits so that I can get my own place, or at least get a cell phone. I admit, my health isn't great and I still have trouble with my memory, but I want to be in a healthy environment before I start working on my health.

Other things I'd like to share about myself.

I've been staying at the shelter for a couple months now and most of the programs here are focused on housing. That's great and all, but I'm not interested in staying in Detroit. My ultimate goal is to simply get my own place and have a regular job again. I'd like my independence back. Right now I don't even have a cell phone to call my cousin with. I just want to get back to Sault Ste. Marie so I can stay with him. That's all I want right now.