My name is Michael Dolbow I live in Escondido California I am legally blind and living off of disability.

I am still fighting for my Veterans benefits and I'm in the middle of a legal battle on that due to paperwork issues.

I have worked my entire life, mostly in the aerospace field as a manufacturing engineer after my military service.

I raised two daughters as a single part time parent and now I am a grandfather of seven beautiful grandchildren.

I have worked very hard my entire life and had volunteered in my younger years in rescue and Coast Guard rescue.

But now in my later years I had a stroke and heart attack and went legally blind. 

The girlfriend at the time couldn't handle that and the severity of it so I literally became homeless.

Even though I'm fighting the VA for my benefits I was able to go to a homeless shelter and they accepted the paperwork I did have for my military service and they let me stay in the veterans area of the homeless shelter.

From there a veteran brother online, who is a business owner, saw my story and helped me get back on my feet. 
He assisted me in retaining VA advocacy and lawyers to help me fight for my benefits.
He got me back into life and helped me fight for my social security civilian disability and I was able to gain that, and then he helped me get into a room for rent.

Since then my health has improved, I've been able to overcome my disabilities and right now in April my rent on my room runs out.

I will not be able to afford the lease on the disability I do receive.

I do not want to be homeless again so a friend of mine helped me out and he bought me a trailer for $2,000 that was very damaged and had rats and animals in it.

I got a few donations of some sealant and I was able to repair all of the holes that were open.
I was able to repair the siding of the trailer and I was able to seal it all up with those donations.

My friend helped me gut out the rotted out walls and we replaced the studs, there is some leftover Luan board that was in there that we're going to use to cover it and then paint it.

But there is so much more to do and I live on a very very limited income.

I've been using social media to ask the general public for waste items from their builds so that I can build this home for myself so that I'm not homeless on the street.

I have found several people who will rent me a space on their land within a budget that I can still pay my rent and eat and have transportation because I am legally blind I do not drive.

I am a very responsible man, I had a very responsible career, most of my life people depended on me either in manufacturing, which was mainly for military manufacturers out here in San Diego, and then in volunteer rescue as a specialist.

Lives depend on it so I was never into drugs or drinking.

I am very highly educated unfortunately the stroke took a lot of that away from me and I have fought several years and have gained my strength and some of my memory back to where I can function.

 I am at the level now I am retraining myself so that I can have both my disability that I paid into for 32 years of my life, and also some side money coming in with a side job.

I have built through donations a small studio so I can work in voice over work and podcasting work. I also work in documentary narration.

Everything is on hold right now so we can get this trailer build done and ready. We are planning to build a small 24X24 side shed converted to studio so I can continue my veterans pods cast and side work.

Now I face going back into the street being homeless again and all my plans and everything I've been collecting and trying to build will go to waste.

I'm setting this fundraising up in order to help me complete my goal and get into this trailer so I am not another homeless veteran on the street again. If I can so this I can help more of my brother and sister veterans also with my studio. or I can fail and lose all of this gear and what I have barely held onto even rationed my food some times to save for gear for this.

I know that you help. even a small donation will help me get the materials to make this into a safe home for me.
I also know that you have millions and millions of people asking for help and free things.

What I'm asking for is help with this build project so that I can stand up.
So that I can build a home for myself and not be a homeless veteran waiting on his veteran's benefits.
So that I don't get lost to the streets.
 I'm not an addict or alcoholic, I'm a very good man who raised his family, who still helps, who still is trying to work through his disabilities.

So here's what I'm doing I'm rebuilding this 30 ft Long trailer that my friend got we are cleaning out all the rat nests we pulled up the floor and redid the floor we pulled out all the walls that were rotted from the open holes in the ceiling and we replaced the studs of most of that trailer with donated studs from a public source.

We also had somebody donate a whole box of acrylic silicone paint-able sealant exterior and we went to town and used the whole box up and we repaired the holes, we fixed the bent metal and we sealed it all up.

So now we are getting down to tearing out everything and getting down to the bare floor and bear walls.

The refrigerator works so I'll be using the stove, the microwave works, the interior lights work, the 12 volt system works and the air conditioner works.

I have yet to test the toilet system and the little itty bitty rinky dink shower system that's in there that's extremely yellow from age but if it works it works.

So it's a start and what I'm asking for is either a donation to help me buy the materials I need to make this into a home for myself or if your company can help me with a product maybe a product that is cosmetically damaged that still works but you can't sell it that would extremely help me out and assist me in furthering my life in a good positive way.

I have found several people in my area that will rent me a spot on their land within my budget.

 I swear I'm a good honorable man who served his country with honor I served in both the military and in civilian life I was a good father and a single father.
I do not have a criminal background and I do not drink or do drugs.

I have until April to get this build done and then I have to move from this house I'm in and face either moving that trailer fully rebuilt and fixed and set up or I face the street because trying to find a room for rent out here in California is now surpassing what I get on my civilian disability.

But if I do it this way, with the trailer and set myself up on rented RV space on land, the lease on that spot is enough to where I can still live here and have transportation and buy food and still be able to pay my rent and enjoy my grandchildren and enjoy the life that I fought for that I serve this country for.

That's what I'm trying to set myself up so that I'm not a burden on the system so I can actually get retrained so I can actually stand up for myself and continue doing and building my voice over career in a way that I can get around my disabilities..

If you can help one American stand up and live a healthy life, please help me..

The entire interior I had to remove so this place is empty down to the frame inside.
I am trying to collect enough parts to put this back together again. I need:

Plumbing tube and fittings
Electrical panel for a 30' 50 amp Dutchman trailer I think 1998. The plug in dongle is really bad so I need to replace that also with a 50 Amp plug for hook up power.
More sealant this place had holes in it and I am trying to seal it up.
Any extra wiring you have.
New faucet for the sink
New shower head.
New electrical sockets around 8 of them for trailers.
The level jacks when the trailer got hit at one time, why did I got it so cheap, it bent all 4 of them so I cannot level this thing now.
Interior lights, they are all melted with old bulbs and some even smoke when turned on, so very melted.          

It's very damaged, with mold and wood rot. I have been slowly replacing the wood frame and cleaning out the mold and rat poop lol. If I work hard even though I am living on disability I can make this place very nice to live in with the help of donations. Some day when I finally get my VA paperwork fixed by my lawyer I will get my benefits and get into a VA home, but for now I have to do this on Civilian SSDI and it is not even paying rent on a room  lol….

There are other things needed like: new faucet for sink, new wire for the lights, new electrical panel, and other items needed electrically in this rebuild. The rats ate everything in sight so I am fully rebuilding this from the ground up.

If you need proof of my service and if you need proof of my disabilities I will gladly show it to you along with pictures and other proof so that you know I'm saying who I am and that I'm not trying to scam you.

 I am truly, from the heart, and as a past American soldier still fighting for his veterans benefits and is a good man and a father and an honorable citizen, if you can please help me I very much would appreciate it.

If you would like to make a donation to help me, even a small $20 donation will help me get even one part or material needed to get this rebuilt.

I've been taking pictures of the build and of the repairs as people donate items and things.

I show them exactly where I'm putting it on the build, and as I do repairs and get help with repairs I take pictures of the before and after so people know that I'm for real, and I'm really really trying hard to be honest and stand up so I can survive in a way that is survival for someone my age with disabilities. I am only 56 but with a lifetime of several severe injuries that has made me unable to work but I am trying to change that.

I very much appreciate your help and understanding and reading all of this and thank you for considering me.

Sincerely Mike Dolbow