"I was born and raised in Puyallup. I have my own kids. I’ve been disabled since I was really young. I’ve contacted CLEAR several times, this last time because I was homeless.
I had been living in my car and in motels for three months, trying to get into a low-income tax-credit apartment. I had a problem with the paperwork. I didn’t understand that Washington had changed laws such that cats can’t be service animals even if they’re trained.
That was the biggest bump in the road. The apartment management refused to take the letter from my doctor. NJP told me that I had to get a new letter and change the wording from “service animal” to “emotional support.”
I need my service animals for my disabilities: PTSD, major depression, generalized anxiety, fibromyalgia, and rheumatoid arthritis. My one cat wakes me from sleep apnea. I train my service animals myself: hand signs, verbal, body language. A service animal is adapted to the way you do things. I trained mine to let me know if they see something I haven’t noticed that could trigger a panic attack.
The whole time we were homeless, my cats had to live in our car, even when I was in a motel. During the night it was very cold, and I would stay in the car to make sure they wouldn’t get too cold. On the nights we stayed in my car, it was hard to find safe places to park.
I was having trouble finding a one-bedroom under $1,500. Today, I live in a three bedroom. My son lives with me and my daughter visits. I’m a published poet and author. Now that I’m in an apartment, I want to start writing again and get my books out. I’m hoping that my words can help other people. Eventually, I want to take a road trip to see the country and write about my experiences.
At least I know my critters enjoy traveling with me.
There are a lot of nonprofits people can donate to. NJP is one of the best. Most attorneys are in it for the money. This is a different organization. I didn’t have to pay a single dime. My NJP attorney took extra time to discuss my situation with me, ensuring I understood and compiled with the new law and assisted me with completing the paperwork. We were ultimately able to settle my case outside of court.
NJP is one of the best organizations to donate to. I recommend them to anybody and everybody who needs help with legal representation. You should not have to pay thousands to understand your rights and protect yourself. When people donate, it helps people resolve bad situations. There's a lot of rules and laws to know so all the help NJP gives is invaluable. They are a start to a better world and tomorrow.
We can’t survive without NJP. The change they’re making to help people is amazing. I wish they could do more for some of us who have more issues that they can’t quite handle. You go through these situations, every story is a little different, but everyone is just looking for a place to call home, to be heard, understood, not confused on what their rights are, and what they need to do. With NJP, you have somebody you can ask. The laws change every time you blink. If I couldn’t have done that paperwork I would still be homeless, my son would be homeless, my animals, homeless."
Donate to help keep people stable and housed.