You have a voice
I’m so sorry I don’t know what to tag this. There is hurt. I get it. There is disbelief there is guilt there is anger. My heart goes out to tophia. However, I understand that either out of principle or personal situations/financials what have you, there are people who can’t won’t wouldn’t donate to the chu family. I know there may be a feeling of helplessness and maybe fear. So if you don’t have the money- don’t have the ability to give whatever, I thought I’d offer some alternatives.
For background- I work in outreach for homelessness. I’m aware of the housing crisis, resources, barriers etc. yada yada yada I promise I’m not talking out of my ass about some of this stuff even if the actions seem small.
If you have a few bucks- consider buying a meal for your local homeless persons. Give out meals in honor of the chus grab something they’d like and hand it out. Think of them while you’re providing a warm meal to someone in need.
If you have a few things floating around-
call your local shelters. Around here some of ours are called “hospitality centers”. We need things that you may have laying around. Sometimes we’re limiting how many showers we can give to clients in a day because we don’t have enough towels or shampoo. People fleeing DV situations don’t have pads or tampons. Maybe you have a spare pack of toothbrushes and toothpaste that can give someone their first form of dental care in years. That rickety old chair and table you’ve been meaning to update for the tj maxx food stools can be the difference between someone who’s just been housed for the first time in ten years eating like a person at a table or sitting off the floor.
If you need a job-
Look into outreach. You can be the person taking charge and getting people out of these situations into housing today. You can be the person stepping up during an economic crisis to keep people safe from this unjust violence. It breaks my heart to say that the violence the chus faced is the norm in the world of homelessness. You can get involved either by volunteering or getting into the workforce to take action about it.
If you want to volunteer-
Call the soup kitchens. If you offer services/have some kind of hobby or talent, call the local centers. Offering groups that can keep people in a safe environment and off the streets can make a world of difference.
If you have time-
EDUCATE YOURSELVES. Please please please. Think of all the chus and their collective experiences. Take time to educate yourself about things like POC experience, mental illness, addiction, and all of the things this family has struggled with. Take time to educate yourself on the “Housing First Model” and write to your legislators about the importance of protecting people from facing this sort of tragedy. Advocate for the need for realistic rent, for housing for all, for mental health access and veterans safety. Write and make your voices heard.
Above all- don’t forget to take care of yourselves right now. All of you. Everyone hug a loved one tonight. A pet, a family member, a spouse. Someone. Tophia, if you’re reading this, I truly hope you and mamachu are close. I hope you two get some rest and peace and safety that is much deserved.
In case you need it, for whoever in the chuniverse is reading:
Suicide Crisis Hotline: 988
Community Resources/Crisis Response: 211
Young adults can text “friend” to 62640
*Please note these are national hotlines and states may offer additional services. It’s highly recommended to check. In most areas (I believe also in New Mexico 👀) you can call 211 and request mobile crisis simply come sit with you and talk you through it free of charge.
This is a hard time for all and I hope everyone gives tophia the respect you’d all ask for if you were in this situation. Healing energy to her and Mamachu 🙏🏻
Archived Comments
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I love this message 🩷 I feel like for the longest time I’ve known Tophia the one truly good thing that came from her presence online was people becoming inspired to better themselves and their lives after seeing her situation. I hope this puts things into perspective for people and reminds every one of how fragile life is. I also hope people will be inspired to do as you said and reach out, and just generally be kinder especially to people you don’t know because you really never know what somebody is going through.
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This post is so kind. Honestly since the Slydell were evicted I kept thinking about the fact that it could happen to anyone.
I acknowledge the problematic things that she did in the past and the fact that she was against trying to find a job. But the cost of living is literally insane right now. Groceries, gas, living in general..It’s dystopic.
I’m not from the US, I live in Europe and even in my own country rent keeps on being raised, there’s a lot of people who are homeless, and I live in the fear that it could happen to me…I think I’ll go and volunteer to the local shelter near my city tomorrow.
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Thanks for recommending some actions people can take if they feel motivated to do so. It’s so important to give back to our communities when/if we can. I appreciate the work you do helping people.
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Thank you for sharing this 🫶