Living in My car In a Church Parking Lot...

[CindysRain]

Along with food and a place to sleep, most shelters provide assistance to get you back on your feet. They have access to all types of programs/services.

I think that would certainly be preferable to living in your car, with no options. You really should consider giving that a try.

[Mystical]

My dear, I think your problem is that we see no need to give you money because you can help yourself. We are not dumb. If you have autism, and you have been without a job for six months, you can certainly apply for social security. You could apply for cash assistance even. You can also go to a battered women's shelter. You could apply for section 8. If you helped yourself first, by putting in the work--then people will be more apt to help you. I dislike that you'd come here thinking I'd give you money just because Christians wont.
Furthermore it DOES NOT COST $600 to have a roof over your head. Lastly, I've heard nothing about how hungry you are. I've lived out of my car, too.

I suggest that you go talk to the church pastor and see if he can make an announcement looking for a room for rent in exchange for work. Also go see a case worker at your local Medicaid office. If you are indeed depressed and have autism, you obviously can't care for yourself and need to go to a group home or assisted living.

[Little lunch]

It must be horrible living in a car. Uncomfortable, boring, cold/ damp/ hot, frightening and lonely.
I find just the thought of 8 months of that unbearable.
I'm in no position to help but I wish I could.
You need to get your car running.
Maybe you could try to get a garage to help in return for cleaning work.
If you could get the car running you could sell it.
You need a home address to get a job more then a car.

Keep your chin up. Your bad run won't last forever. I hope you get more success with your fundraiser. :-)

[Ami529]

We have hired people to do yard work and/or house work from time to time who were either in or about to be in your situation.

Rather than begging from the church you might offer some janitorial services in return for the right to stay in the parking lot.

---

Your site has been snipped from the OP. Where are you exactly?

I'm in Pikeville, Tennessee. I've done some cleaning work, but there has been very little of that kind of work given to me, and all it has helped me do is scrape by. I'm lucky if I get to do the one load of laundry I have at the local laundromat.

[Mystical]

Do you have the resources to come to where I am and show me how to do this? I've been able to do some cleaning, but it is not anything close to coming up with $600 per month for a place to live, or to the money to even get a new battery for my car and there's something wrong with it that makes it stall all the time. There have also been many times I was OBVIOUSLY propositioned for sex with the implication that it might "help me." If I were willing, I could be living with someone in exchange for casual sexual relationship. I've had other women tell me online that that's what they've had to do. I would just rather be dead than go that route.

All I hear is 'Yeah I'm not doin that, I want free money.'
Craigslist is free. Post your willingness to work there. If you need an address in order to get a job, ask the church or homeless shelters for an address you can use or give out a fake one fgs. The mere fact that you are here with your well spoken spiel is proof enough to me that you DO have the wherewithal to get a job

I'm fucking done hearing about how you want money support from our members and your guilt trip bullshit can just stop too.

[Little lunch]

If Atheism was a big organisation like the church, we would let you live in our carpark too.
:-)

[Ami529]

My dear, I think your problem is that we see no need to give you money because you can help yourself. We are not dumb. If you have autism, and you have been without a job for six months, you can certainly apply for social security. You could apply for cash assistance even. You can also go to a battered women's shelter. You could apply for section 8. If you helped yourself first, by putting in the work--then people will be more apt to help you. I dislike that you'd come here thinking I'd give you money just because Christians wont.
Furthermore it DOES NOT COST $600 to have a roof over your head. Lastly, I've heard nothing about how hungry you are. I've lived out of my car, too.

I suggest that you go talk to the church pastor and see if he can make an announcement looking for a room for rent in exchange for work. Also go see a case worker at your local Medicaid office. If you are indeed depressed and have autism, you obviously can't care for yourself and need to go to a group home or assisted living.

I am not eligible for social security, but I would have been eligible for SSI. Most of the work I've ever been paid has been under the table. The jobs I've had that actually took out taxes do not total up to a whole lot. SSI is based on how much you pay into it and because of that, I don't qualify. I did have income-based housing, but I lost it last year under re-evaluation and was evicted in February 2013. They changed some of the guidelines for being eligible. One of the things they had a problem with is my car which was considered an asset. I do not qualify for cash assistance, but I do get a little money for food stamps. There is no battered women's shelter, but there are shelters in Chattanooga. Unfortunately, I do not have a place I can park my anywhere near them and the few times I've stayed at a shelter before my battery died was more scary than being alone in my car. They only let you stay the night and it's mostly just to get you out of the cold. Sometimes they have sandwiches. But in the winter, the days can be just as cold as the nights, and once you got a couple good blankets, it can be just as warm in your car as it is in the homeless shelter.

And with electricity and rent, the lowest costs I've found are $500-600 per month. Electricity is required or you can be evicted. And that's not including my inability to even get approved for an apartment because of the credit check, nor the security deposit or first and last month's rent. If my fundraiser had a few thousand extra dollars left over, I would use it to pay for a 6 month lease up front to bypass the credit check.

I really would encourage you to find homeless people where you live and talk to them. It is not as easy as you make it sound.

---

If Atheism was a big organisation like the church, we would let you live in our carpark too.
:-)

Aww. Well, when I can get a new battery, I'll at least be able to start my car when it stalls and I'll be able to move around again like I did for the first few months I was homeless. I had gotten a little temp work when my car worked, but without being able to drive anywhere, it's all been very downhill and it caused me to lose my financial aid.

---

Do you have the resources to come to where I am and show me how to do this? I've been able to do some cleaning, but it is not anything close to coming up with $600 per month for a place to live, or to the money to even get a new battery for my car and there's something wrong with it that makes it stall all the time. There have also been many times I was OBVIOUSLY propositioned for sex with the implication that it might "help me." If I were willing, I could be living with someone in exchange for casual sexual relationship. I've had other women tell me online that that's what they've had to do. I would just rather be dead than go that route.

All I hear is 'Yeah I'm not doin that, I want free money.'
Craigslist is free. Post your willingness to work there. If you need an address in order to get a job, ask the church or homeless shelters for an address you can use or give out a fake one fgs. The mere fact that you are here with your well spoken spiel is proof enough to me that you DO have the wherewithal to get a job

I'm fucking done hearing about how you want money support from our members and your guilt trip bullshit can just stop too.

I'm not asking for free money. I just want to re-qualify for financial aid and get back into school and get my car going so I can fix my living situation and get back and forth to class.

[Nine]

I'm pretty sure Luckie wasn't saying it's easy. However, asking strangers online is ridiculous. There is just no way of telling if you are scamming us or genuinely need money. Reality is you have a handful of options you can be apathetic or productive. To me you come across as apathetic, people are trying to give you ideas and you respond with lots of reasons why not. I have no doubts its hard but only being productive will help, Luckie from what I see is giving you ways to help yourself.

[ShaMan]

Here's a thought...

What do you love doing most?

What brings you deep inner joy as you work?

Do that!

______________________________________________________

I once had great financial worth, and I traded it for weakness and addiction.

I then had sadness, and a great loss of things.

Next, I traded those fears for a positive attitude.

Now, I have real wealth.

[Ami529]

I'm pretty sure Luckie wasn't saying it's easy. However, asking strangers online is ridiculous. There is just no way of telling if you are scamming us or genuinely need money. Reality is you have a handful of options you can be apathetic or productive. To me you come across as apathetic, people are trying to give you ideas and you respond with lots of reasons why not. I have no doubts its hard but only being productive will help, Luckie from what I see is giving you ways to help yourself.

I've been homeless since February 2013. I've tried all those options. I got my first letter about student loans since I missed last semester. Without requalifying for financial aid, I can't go back to school, and I need help doing that.

If anyone wants to talk to me in person, they are welcome to ask for my phone number in a private message. I'm a real person in a very bad situation. I cannot stay on the phone long, though, because this is a free phone given to me by the state and I only get 250 free minutes a month and I save them only for important calls, so I would ask that you call only if you are really interested in helping because I cannot afford the minutes.