My cute #huskybrat is blowing his coat all over the chair while he sleeps.

#husky #siberianhusky #dogsofmastodon #dogs

I'm gonna need to hire the upholstery cleaner now to clean up all this furry furniture.

Enjoy

XD!

#actualfurry

My cute #huskybrat enjoying the day out a few days ago.

#dogsofmastodon #siberianhusky

Asking for help is one of the hardest things in the world, and society often makes us feel like we're failing just for trying to survive a broken system.

Because we missed the March 2 GFM goal, I had to move again. I'm now in a new, less comfortable space (very cool bedroom though!), but I am refusing to give up. I am literally only weeks away from starting my new clinical job as an LPC on March 16, and shortly after that, achieving total financial independence.

But right now, the systemic "poverty tax" is draining my very last resources.

This week, bureaucratic delays at my onboarding drug test made me late to leave for my mandated fingerprinting appointment. I was forced to spend $60-ish on a Lyft, and STILL I made it one minute late for my appointment. Because of that single minute, they refused to see me and tried to push my appointment back weeks—which would have destroyed my March 16 start date. To save my job, I was forced to spend another $50 on an emergency Lyft to race to a second location just to get my prints run that same day.

The system rigidly punishes those of us trying to survive, especially when navigating it with agoraphobia, PTSD, and autism. I know that the only reason I'm still functioning is sheer force of will born entirely of the belief that this community has in me and the investment that you've put in to my getting to this point.

Here is exactly where things stand financially right now:

  • Groceries (Secured): EBT kicks in tomorrow, March 9. We are safe on food! Riko too!
  • Priority 1 - Rent (Urgent): Hitting our GFM goal covers the rent in its entirety through April 1. This is the absolute priority so I don't lose this space and get displaced again.
  • Priority 2 - Internet ($100): I currently have no home internet and am burning through expensive mobile hotspot data. I need a $100 deposit to get it installed, but I must secure the rent first.

I am so close to the finish line. Please, if you can invest in my survival today, you are securing the roof over my head until my first paycheck arrives. Thank you for not letting me fall at the final hurdle.

GFM: https://gofund.me/85c9fb79e
Venmo: https://venmo.com/ellisarcwolf
CashApp: https://cash.app/$CeruleanArc
Chime: $EllisArcwolf

#MutualAid #MutualAidRequest #Pittsburgh #PovertyTax #ActuallyAutistic #PTSD #DisabilityJustice #HousingSecurity #LPC #Therapist #CommunityCare #SiberianHusky

Update: Sorry I haven't posted in a bit. Housing stressors. 😭 But....

🚨 THE SANCTUARY IS FOUND – ONLY $873 TO GO! 🚨

I have officially found a 1-bedroom apartment right on the bus route to my new job! It's tiny but it's quiet, and I can work and rest in peace here, which is an absolute blessing.

Over the last 4 months, I have been forced to move at least 8 different times. The constant displacement has been horrible for my ability to function. I can't do it again. I need to secure this space so Riko and I can finally stop running and just rest.

The beautiful truth is that my new salary easily covers the $1,100 rent and the monthly internet cost (all other bills are paid). I am entirely capable of sustaining this!

We are currently 66% of the way to my original GoFundMe goal. I desperately need to raise the final $873 to cover the upfront rent and initial setup fees so I can lock this in and never have to move again.

We have the job. We have the apartment. Please help us cross this final finish line! 💜

GFM: https://gofund.me/85c9fb79e
Venmo: https://venmo.com/ellisarcwolf
CashApp: https://cash.app/$CeruleanArc
Chime: $EllisArcwolf

#MutualAid #MutualAidRequest #Pittsburgh #HousingCrisis #LPC #Therapist #SuccessStory #EmergencyFund #SiberianHusky #DisabilityJustice #CommunityCare #MentalHealthMatters

🚨 4 DAYS UNTIL THE GAP 🚨

The countdown is officially at 4 days. My safe housing sanctuary ends this Monday, March 2. My new career as a Clinician at Pittsburgh Mercy begins on March 16.

I am fighting to close the final $600-$700 gap of my housing bridge to keep Riko and myself safe indoors during those two weeks, and the 2–3 weeks following before I get my first paycheck.

I’ve spent this week successfully navigating onboarding, background checks, and reclaiming my creative spark and cognitive bandwidth after surviving COVID-19. I'm ready to return to work at last! As an LPC. 😊

I just need to survive the wait for my first paycheck without losing the stability we, as a community, have fought so hard to build.

We are so close to the finish line. If you can help us secure this final need—or share this with networks who support TLGBQ+ therapists—we can close this gap today!

Thanks for your support, everyone. I can't tell you how grateful I am. There aren't words. 💜

GFM: https://gofund.me/85c9fb79e
Venmo: https://venmo.com/ellisarcwolf
CashApp: https://cash.app/$CeruleanArc
Chime: $EllisArcwolf

#MutualAid #MutualAidRequest #Pittsburgh #LPC #Therapist #SuccessStory #HousingCrisis #EmergencyFund #SiberianHusky #LGBTQSupport #MentalHealth #DisabilityJustice

Onboarding has officially begun! 📝

Navigating the mountains of paperwork and multiple background checks this week has been stressful, but it is the exact kind of "good stress" I have been fighting for. So I'm adapting quickly to this new and exciting way of things.

Having this quiet sanctuary is working. My cognitive bandwidth is returning—so much so that I was able to finish my gigantic essay on AI! I am no longer just surviving; I am creating and thinking again. 🧠✨

Thanks to you, I also managed to acquire all the groceries I need until my food stamps renew in early March. I had to go $40 out of pocket for it, but that was an acceptable need, and I think all of you who have been supporting me would likely agree.

🚨 THE FINAL BOSS BATTLE – 5 DAYS REMAINING 🚨

We are exactly 5 days away from my current housing running out on March 2.

I need to raise the $900 bridge to extend my stay through April so Riko and I remain safe and indoors until after my new career begins on March 16. GoFundMe has started collecting some of these funds, and we're about $200-300 into our goal. We're still needing $600-700 more to ensure I don't have to worry about housing until I have the money to acquire a rental all my own.

We have cleared every other hurdle. Please help us close this final gap!

#MutualAid #MutualAidRequest #Pittsburgh #LPC #Therapist #SuccessStory #HousingCrisis #EmergencyFund #SiberianHusky #COVIDRecovery #MentalHealth #WritingCommunity #PovertyTax #Venmo #CashApp

UPDATE: Communications Restored!

Thanks to you, my phone is back on! I am now officially reachable for the background check and drug testing calls from Pittsburgh Mercy. This was the most stressful barrier and now it's gone.

And good thing, too! I got two VERY important calls today that I would've been very sad to miss! So thank you for that very, very much. 💜

Because I’ve had to move so frequently to stay safe, my PO Box is my only consistent "anchor" for mail. Thanks to you, I've kept it! Which will help me continue to receive important mail from work and the state board.

The Long-Term Bridge: The Housing Gap

With the phone active and the PO box safe, all focus now shifts to the $900 needed to extend my housing from March 2nd through the start of April. This ensures Riko and I don't lose our sanctuary in the two weeks between our current stay ending and my new career beginning.

  • Phone: ✅ RESTORED ($56)
  • PO Box: ✅ RESTORED ($10)
  • Housing Bridge: ⏳ $600–700 Remaining

Riko is safe, I am breathing clean air, and the finish line is in sight.

Links for the Final Push:

#MutualAid #MutualAidRequest #Pittsburgh #LPC #Therapist #SuccessStory #GoodNews #JobOffer #PittsburghMercy #HousingCrisis #EmergencyFund #SiberianHusky #MutualAidPA #PovertyTax #COVID19 #Recovery #Venmo #CashApp

Joan Burgos | @ellisarcwolf

Venmo is a digital wallet that lets you make and share payments with friends. You can easily split the bill, cab fare, or much more. Download the iOS or Android app or sign up on Venmo.com today.

A CAREER RESTORED!!!

When I first asked for your help, my goal was simply to survive long enough to rebuild my life. Today, I am incredibly proud to share that my dream is gently easing into reality.

Following my final interview last Wednesday (February 18), I received and accepted an official offer for a clinician position at Pittsburgh Mercy. My tentative start date is set for March 16.

Because of the sanctuary you helped provide, I was able to recover from COVID-19 in a safe, smoke-free environment. Having a quiet space allowed me to finalize my credentialing and walk into that interview as the professional I am, not just a person surviving a crisis. My dog, Riko, has been safe and grounded by my side through it all.

MAKING IT THROUGH THE FINAL STRETCH

We are at the absolute final stretch of this journey, but there is one last "pickle" to navigate.

The funds we raised secured my current, safe housing until March 2. However, my new career does not begin until March 16, leaving exactly a two-week gap where Riko and I will be without a home before my first day of work—and several weeks before my first paycheck. This problem is compounded by the following issues:

  • Phone: My phone has been cut off due to non-payment and requires $56 to turn back on. This part especially sucks because I'm expecting a callback from Pittsburgh Mercy to let me know how to proceed with background checks and drug testing, and so I'm pretty anxious about that right now.
  • Post Office Box: Because I've had to move so much, I have a PO Box. I have to renew the payment on it, and that's $10.
  • Food: Riko is gratefully not out of food, but I am. I've got food stamps, but carrying groceries several blocks uphill is impossible for me, so I need to get it delivered. Ergo non-food-stamp money is needed.

To cross this final bridge without losing the stability we’ve fought so hard to build, I need to finish raising my GoFundMe goal, which I've dropped to $2,500. This will cover:

  • $900 to extend my current housing through the start of April, allowing me time to get my first paycheck, to potentially argue for a relocation stipend so I can get an actual rental apartment, and to stay safe—and more importantly, psychologically stable while managing severe PTSD—until I can do all of that.
  • $395 to ensure food security for Riko and me and to pay necessary bills until my first paycheck arrives.

CROSSING THE FINISH LINE

You didn't just help me escape a dispiriting, life-threatening environment; you bought me the time to reclaim my career as an LPC. I am now just weeks away from being completely self-sufficient and returning to the frontlines to serve the LGBTQ+ and Spanish-speaking communities.

Please help me bridge this final month. If you cannot donate, sharing this update is just as vital.

Thank you so much, community. I would never have been able to do this without you, and I plan to spend the rest of my life making sure folks I come across don't have to go through what I've had to. :purple_heart:

Thank you for being the steady foundation I needed to start anew. Riko and I almost home.

#MutualAid #MutualAidRequest #Pittsburgh #LPC #Therapist #LGBTQ #HousingCrisis #EmergencyFund #DisabilityJustice #PTSD #COVIDRecovery #FoodSecurity #JobOffer #MentalHealthMatters #SiberianHusky #MutualAidPA #PovertyTax #Venmo #CashApp