What can we DU now to help TTW and Yoshi ?

[daredtowork]

311. I'm not sure what's going on with you

But it sounds like you are the one who is too close to this situation and needs to take a step back.

Here are the steps I have taken, and how involved I was willing to get.

When I first saw TTW post, her situation looked familiar, but a number of people were already out crying "scam" and denouncing the "Internet panhandler". I attempted to validate those kinds of experiences and asked the "skeptics" to back off. I talked to TTW in PM about what she could do to improve her credibility and what resources she could seek out. I also talked to other DU members about contacting her and vouching for her.

When TTW posted again, the "skeptics" came out to discourage people donating to her gofundme because she would need regular rent money. I again came out to validate TTW's situation and provide case management resources. I saw DU members had already validated her situation.

At this point several DU members have been in contact with TTW, and msanthrope's ex has actually met her. There shouldn't be any more "skeptics" trying to discourage people on DU who, for whatever reasons, want to help her. Yet there are. So I try to counter their noise with TTW's point of view. I think that if people want to continue to help TTW - especially by leading her to steady resources in the Philadelphia area - they shouldn't be discouraged from doing that.

Most of all, no matter how stressed out and our mentally ill TTW may be at the minute, she is still an autonomous human being with dignity. Not ALL of her choices are bad ones: we aren't the ones who can judge that from here. She needs help from a case manager who can work with her in Philadelphia.