Check out the dept of social services. In NY they have what is called a one shot deal to help people with back rent and many charities are great about helping people with emergency situations..Like Catholic Charities for example, if you are in a union you can get help there as well also see if your church has an assistance dept. At Bethel Gospel Assembly 120th St and Madison in Harlem, they have a dept that will give you food if needed and lists of charities

I have spent the last 20 years developing educational programs for NYC children, often got paid too little too late I'm helping arts organizations, my Dad died a couple of years ago and I've been teaching Mom and other family members to run their business within my business, I have programs to help churches and troops, recently stopped an Arts in Education job that required me to work on Sunday during church time and prayed and trusted that working with my business and writing grants for my new arts-in ed program and working as a cater waiter would pay the bills. There was very little work in catering, It's not enough. I'm working in a 10 week program ,once a week,to teach a 5th grade in Queens and I'm looking at selling things in my apt to make up the difference or just declaring bankruptcy. I went to HRA for a "one shot deal" loan to pay for rent arrears of  $9400 they say if I can get $4700 to pay they may pay the rest. I went to my union and they can't give me anything unless the "one shot deal"from HRA comes through. I'm going to another union office and a charity today and talking to legal aide again as time allows and calling friends for temporary loans and posting notices for sale of my things. I'm in court for the second time next week.

The building has 110 violations in it, at least 7 official ones in my apartment. I'm the only one who has painted the common areas in the hallway and everyones door, I have cleaned up feces in the hall many times when the lock was broken and had to fight to get out of my apartment with the drunks and  others on the stairway. I got a plumber to fix the plumbing after having the ceiling come down on me each year till iI did, the whole kitchen cabinet almost fell on me after leaking last year(just missed it) lost most of my food and dishes and some clothes, I've plastered in my nextdoor neighbors apartment which is horendous and gave him roach and mouse killer to help us with vermin, for a while I was the one to put the garbage in the black bags, because the garbage men wouldn't pick it up otherwise, there are mostly Africans in my building and I've found they are afraid to fight poor treatment. People have talked and talked to the landlord and haven't gotten any response, so I started to do the work.

Someone stolen some of the money Dad saved up for her and my sister is investigating that. I had hoped all the work I'm doing would have paid off by now. Just probability if nothing else.I've prayed everyday since October 07. I am martial artist who can give healing massages for a low price, I can teach children, do computer work, teach acting, do native american crafts, skilled seamstress, help find grants for organizations, skilled published writer, develop arts-in-education programs for children, teach teachers how to teach academics through the  arts to their children in schools, give a presentation in Native American arts, songs and dances, provide unlimited, low cost, videophone, teleconferencing to churches and deaf and hearing schools and organizations, make costumes, teach kung fu sword.

Please help! I don't know what else to do!

mpraisegod