Young people plead for cash to move

[Hum]

AM New York?s Shiela Anne Feeney profiled a handful of young people who raised money to move to New York on the crowdfunding website GoFundMe.com.

And it actually works.

I checked the site out for myself and found hundreds of more pleas for cash from 20- and 30-somethings looking to move everywhere from Indiana to Australia.

Lucia Dahlstrom is three-quarters of the way toward his goal of raising $3,000 to move from New York to Atlanta to "begin my work as a therapist, social worker and budding doula."

Like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, Gofundme campaigners can offer up trinkets or prizes to donors based on the amount pledged. Dahlstrom offered everything from a personalized ringtone of his laugh ($10) to tailor-made date ideas for couples in a rut ($85).

"What I need in order to begin diving into my work in the South is money to move," he says. "I have been applying for at least 5 jobs a  day to pay rent and trying to save up?something that is simply not possible in NYC."

Making the opposite move, Atlanta-based Amy Rush raised more than $1,000 to fund her trip to New York for a shot at a part-time job at the Jim Henson Foundation, a puppetry arts festival.

Like Dahlstrom and Rush, some of the campaigners have jobs, charity projects, internships or interviews lined up, but I was surprised by the number of people asking for money just to get out of town.

Tallahassee, Fla., resident David Smith has raised $120 to finance a move to North Carolina with his girlfriend. ?Moving to the grown up [sic] world!? his profile page reads.

?It has come to that point in life where you move out on your own and start your ?grown-up? life,? he writes. ?I have found out that moving is expensive. Please help us out.?

Not to insult Smith, but what is so ?grown-up? about using the same fundraising technique as Girl Scouts and little kids who peddle candy bars for school fundraisers? At least they?ve got an excuse to knock on their neighbors? doors -- they?re adorable, and besides, it?s illegal for them to get an actual job.

One guy raised nearly $1,000 so he could avoid an ex who cheated on him and drive from Arizona to Ohio with this pets.

University of Connecticut sophomore  Kaishon Holloway at least had an internship lined up. He posted a fundraising page in February to raise $2,000 to finance his move to Fort Wayne, Ind., where he planned on interning for J.C. Penney. ?The funds would help me with airfare, living expenses and moving expenses, etc,? he writes.

more