Support a Family in Crisis: Urgent Help Needed

I am reaching out for your help.

I am experiencing a financial crisis and to get through the next few months, I am going to need a good amount of cash.

Most importantly, I need to get through this coming week.

I need about $10,000 in the next week to cover owed expenses that, if not paid, will have dire consequences. Most notably, I will likely lose my house (rental - 4 months behind), which would in turn affect my custody of my daughter, as it should. If I can't provide a home... After that, I have December, then January.

Rent payments

My landlord has been so understanding and kind through all of my recent struggles and wants to help me, but he really can't continue renting to me if he can't pay his mortgage. The emotional stress of there being a very real possibility that one day I will wake up and be without a home, or having to move (which I 1000% cannot afford to do either).

Employment

My work situation the past two years has been nothing short of a complicated mess. Going back to last year with all of the union strikes causing my industry to come to nearly a complete halt, I was out of work until November when I secured a job with an incredible show that would have put me into a position where I could weather another year of hardship and repay most of my debts. In February, the project was halted abruptly and I have not been able to secure any subsequent film work.

Career shift

As much as I love the film industry and everything it has offered me and the potential that it has to advance my career and goals, I can no longer handle its peaks and valleys. I am very good at what I do, but if I'm not working, that is useless.

Over the past several months, I have been refocused on finding work back in the tech industry developing software products. It is a logical shift for me as Product Management leverages the same skills that I use daily. This has not moved as quickly as I had hoped, but I really would like to maintain that target and get my foot in somewhere. So, ... If you know of anything, it would be incredibly valuable to me if you could think of me.

Mental health

Through the pandemic, I developed a dependency to alcohol. There have been several signs telling me to pull back or quit for years now. It shifted from something good to drinking an enormous amount at home, lying about how much I was drinking, and putting myself in situations where terrible things could have happened. Fortunately, nothing insurmountable happened to me or my household, but I've been able to reflect on the decisions that I have made and the real consequences of my choices. There is too much to uncover here, so I'll leave it at that.

In mid-February, I quit drinking altogether. I haven't talked about this much, but it has been incredibly difficult for me and still is, but I am thankful for those in my life who have helped me through this behavioral shift. Next week will be 9 months. (Oh, and I kicked tobacco as well, yay.)

Alongside my drinking; independent from but connected, my mental health has suffered greatly. I've been suffering and I'm still suffering. To be clear, I am in a much better place than I have been. I have been 'doing the work', as they say. Sometimes triggers just show up and send me spiraling and without a job or other 'duty' to anchor me, it has been a difficult process to pull myself out of the dark places and learn to find myself again. It's getting better. I have my daughter, but only 50% of the time. She is the light of my life (cheesy, right?). Nothing is more important to me that her.

Debt

CC debt is compounding. I am trying working out debt a management to relieve some stress around monthly payments, but have not found a company that isn't a complete scam. But yeah, all credit cards are maxed and piling on interest. Several of those payments have fallen by the wayside, which is affecting my credit and essentially making it harder to borrow money.

Help in place

I am receiving food assistance from the state, which covers about 80% of what my daughter and I eat each month. I have also received help from yes.nm for utilities. These are resources available for anyone who is struggling, and if you need guidance on how to connect with these programs, please reach out. I have learned the way and can help you. I like helping. There have been many people from my bio and chosen family that have stepped in to help me in so many ways, and I cannot thank you all enough. There are no words.

I know what you're thinking. This is what unemployment insurance is for, and yes, it could help some were it available for me, but when I filed a claim in February when I lost my job, they rejected it because they are saying that they overpaid me during the pandemic and they want $13k. So that is stressful.

On top of it all, I nearly died in early March. Somehow, I contracted some rare (necrotizing) pneumonia, which collapsed my lung and filled my pleural cavity to the point where they had to drain the infection for several days, after which the decision to not proceed with surgery was made. I am still following up with the pulmonologist to ensure that I'm healthy, but there is very little that they can tell me.

So, I guess if you've read this far, I feel rather exposed and vulnerable. It is hard for me to be the one asking for help rather than being able to help others. There is pride and there is my nature. Thank you for reading regardless of your ability to contribute. Hopefully, if there is someone out there suffering, you may be able to see that you are not alone.

Life is hard.