In December of 2025, during some of the coldest temperatures of the year, my life changed overnight. I was illegally evicted and forced out into brutal winter conditions while already struggling to stay afloat. Since then, life has felt like a constant cycle of survival — moving from city to city, scrambling between temporary jobs, sleeping in uncertainty, and trying to keep hope alive while carrying the weight of being a father to five children.

I never imagined I would be in a position where I would need to ask strangers for help, but hard times have a way of humbling even the strongest people.

Family means everything to me. My children are the reason I continue pushing forward despite every setback. I’ve always tried to provide through honest work, whether it was labor jobs, driving work, or crafting handmade jewelry to bring in income when opportunities became scarce. Creating jewelry became more than a hustle — it became a way to hold onto purpose while everything around me felt unstable.

Since the eviction, I’ve faced rejection after rejection while searching for steady employment and safe housing. I’ve gone from job to job, city to city, trying to survive without giving up. Right now, I’m currently staying in temporary housing while trying to rebuild my life from the ground up.

This fundraiser is not about luxury or shortcuts. It’s about stability. It’s about having enough breathing room to secure reliable housing, transportation, work essentials, food, and the ability to continue supporting my children while rebuilding financially and emotionally after losing nearly everything.

If you can help in any way — whether through a donation, a share, or even words of encouragement — it would mean more than I can explain. Every contribution helps create another step toward stability and another reminder that hard times do not have to be faced alone.

To everyone who takes the time to read this: thank you.

— Corey Barnett Copeland Jr.