Dear Lindsey,

Dear Lindsey,

Hi! Thanks so much for reaching out to us, doing the sometimes scary thing of asking for help. It sounds like you’ve been through a lot in your life, and that your family wasn’t always what you needed. You shared that growing up, you experienced religious, verbal, and sexual abuse at the hands of people who were supposed to build you up. Instead, they tore you down again and again — and even more so when they suspected you were gay. They left you with no one in your family believing you. In your words, they destroyed you.

You did not deserve any of that.

It seemed like so much was turning around for you in this last year, as you shared with us about getting into grad school, your work in therapy (including an adorable therapy dog), and having a good and flexible job. But you reached out to us because you were recently fired, leaving you with just dollars in your pocket. You reached out because you were scared of this job loss turning into the loss of your apartment, your grad school, your therapy and therapy dog, and everything else you’ve fought so hard to secure.

Even though it can feel like it at times, you are not alone. Thanks to Together Rising’s community of supporters, you are receiving a grant to cover several months of rent, medical bills, and the cost of a laptop so you can continue grad school and look for a new job.

Cheering you on,

Together Rising

Dear Together Rising,

Thank you so, so, so, so, so much. I cannot begin to explain how much relief this brings me. I cannot stop crying. I feel scared to show a photo of myself with such personal information, but I’ve attached a photo of myself as a child.

This means so much to me. I have had so much heaviness and tension, not to mention blind panic, that I have been trying to keep at bay. I still feel some panic, but I also feel so much relief right now and like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I just got a part-time job writing for a company, and have been borrowing a friend’s laptop but only have it for another week. This is perfect timing. Thank you so much for seeing me and hearing me and validating me. It means more than the grant.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Lindsey