Hi! This might be kind of a long-ish vent post but also asking for advice. I am 19 years old now. A week after my 18th birthday I ran away and moved out of my parents house to live on the streets because…let’s just say they made my life a really bumpy ride and the street option was much more preferable. I’ve been really stressed out about everything recently, mainly my financial situation. I was lucky to have survived homelessness in NYC but the cost was having a random stranger steal my stuff while I was asleep at a park (which included my birth cert and SSN). I finally decided to move in with my gf in a different state but there’s not much to look forward to here. At least her parents are helping us with rent but not much else and she doesn’t have that much money to help me because she wants to save the rest for “the future”. Literally what are you not telling me? What is it for? (Though I might be in the wrong here about her motives but idfk). Back on topic, the social security administration has been threatening to take my disability/SSI which i will no longer have by the end of this month (to be honest they had cut it off a while ago or my mom is lying to me while they’re in the process of cutting it off to take money for herself since she is the payee). My only source of income cut off just like that. I have tried to look for a job but no one wants to hire me (and you know you fucked up somewhere when not even McDonald’s or Amazon wants to hire you which is arguably the lowest you could possibly go). I seriously wonder why they won’t hire me. Is it because I have no job experience, my identities, psych ward history (which wasn’t my fault my mom lied), or all three? Then I have been trying something. “I have been doing art for almost a decade. Why not do art commissions? This is something I’ve always been really passionate with.” And guess what? No one wants to buy my art and I only burnt myself out in the process of trying to make a living out of my only talent/passion. Now I got very desperate. I started trying those survey apps and pay-to-earn games but they’re either scams to get you to watch ads or they are legit but only pay a few cents at a time. Heck, if it was legal I would 1000000% willingly sell ALL of my organs. I’m just really stressed about not having enough money to get all the things I need or barely even survive really. I never leave the apartment because everything is so far from us (and we don’t have a car but not like im legally allowed to drive anyway thanks to seizures. /s) I want a way out and I don’t know what else to do…
Not sure where you are now but I’m in NYC. The advise I’m going to give you I’ve given to many family members all over the US with some good to great results.
Connect with local non-profits. Understand the differences between private funded and federally funded programs. The privately funded hand out resources with little to no caveats. The federally funded require paperwork/proof of some type.
25 years ago I connected with non-profits and it changed the course of my life.
Look for community gardens, they often have free produce and/or groceries. To this very day I get free groceries every 2 weeks which has helped saved us a lot of times. Especially when my kids where younger. Some programs have lines, some have ticket systems and some are appointment based.
Look for job placement centers with free certifications. I joined a program outside of HS that helped me get my A+/Network+ and driver’s license for free. The program is still around, Per Scholas. I’ve had the same job they placed me since I was your age. I’m in upper management now.
Join community centers that offered low income assistance programs they often have their ear on the ground and know about low rent apartment’s, rooms and housing programs. The same program that got me a room for rent when I was a teen later on helped my wife and I secure a condo for super cheap. We got grant support + direct cash support along free repair and restoration classes.
Many of these programs also have support programs for various situations from medical stuff to parenthood to social networking stuff.
Hit your local library for entertainment and education also look there for any programs that can help you.
Though my family and I are doing way better then we ever hoped, we still use these programs and return the favor when we can.