A good brother in the Los Angeles area is at risk of homelessness. He has been facing extended financial hardship, emotional trauma and barely survived the January 2025 LA Wildfires. The Palisades Fire came within blocks of his apartment complex and he was on evacuation alert for almost 2 weeks. His freelance work has dried up and he’s been struggling to make ends meet for 2.5 years. He has no way to pay March rent. He is a private person and did not want to ask for help, but I convinced him to let me start a fundraiser on his behalf: https://www.launchgood.com/brother-la
Our campaign has raised $700 in the first 24 hours. LaunchGood has offered to MATCH every donation up to $2,000 if we can reach $2,000 within the next 48 hours! We have until Tuesday, March 4th at 2pm to reach that goal.
Los Angeles is one of the most expensive cities in the US. With over 75,000 people homeless prior to the January 2025 wildfires, it is exceedingly difficult to stay housed in that city. America is a wild place because you can’t get help until it’s too late. And even then, it’s far too little, far too late. Most rental assistance programs only offer help after a person has received an eviction notice or is already out on the street. My goal is to help my dear friend prevent that from happening.
The cost of living in LA, combined with the lack of jobs that pay enough to meet those costs, forces many people to make buy-food or pay-rent decisions every month. When you find yourself in this situation, you feel like you have no real options left. Some would say “why not just move to a cheaper city,” but moving is more expensive than staying. It’s hard enough to uproot your life and start over when you have money saved up, but it’s impossible when you are down to your last dollars.
My friend is one of the kindest hearted people I know. He has been through his fair share of grief and hardship in this life. Sometimes it feels like the best people end up in the most untenable situations. Fortunately, we have each other to keep us going.
I give you all these details to shed light on the complexities of his situation. This is a good man in a devastating situation. I wish I could do more to help him myself, but I already have family members depending on me for their wellbeing. I am hoping and praying that you find it in your heart, in this blessed month of Ramadan, to help this brother breathe a little easier. Please donate anything you can. May Allah reward you for your efforts!