Main fundraiser photo

I need your help

Donation protected
Due to circumstances beyond my control, I am in a major crisis and I am asking for help.

I work as a "˜daily hire' for several broadcast outlets and am considered an independent contractor (1099 in IRS speak). It is common in the industry to use a "˜clearing house' to arrange work assignments with the networks and do the "˜bookkeeping' and settle accounts. It keeps the networks happy as they simply send one check to cover crew costs instead of dealing with everybody individually. Compounding things is that TV networks have a time honored tradition of paying NINETY DAYS after an event airs, this dates back to the 50's in New York.

Last Wednesday the clearing house I used for years declared bankruptcy.

This was not totally unexpected and many of us switched to a new vendor in September but work I have done for them I won't see until early December. In the meantime I am in limbo for work and expenses starting in mid-May until the end of August. We are talking close to $20K for that period of which a good chunk is money I spent for travel and lodging out of pocket. We have engaged a well known law firm to help us but the problem is we are not employees, we are contractors. In the world of law that is a huge legal dilemma. I also want to stress that the networks involved are not to be blamed as they paid the clearing house.

Compounding this is the owner of the clearing house, who is a dear friend, tried to take his own life and is currently at a hospital in Highland Park, Illinois. I knew he was going through a messy divorce but I am flabbergasted by what has happened.

The end result is that I have nothing coming in until around December 8th and I am tapped out for cash until then. I have been living on plastic waiting for these direct deposits and now my cards are maxed out.

One of my co-workers suggested this method as he said it worked for him. His logic is - "˜You have 100 friends kick in $10-15 bucks and you can weather the storm'.
I set the $1250 figure as what I need to make it until December 10th.

I also want to stress that any money contributed will be repaid by the end of 2013.

I have a Fidelity self-employed 401K and the penalty for tapping into it is huge as I made a bet with them that I would live to be 70 ½.

Feel free to contact me on FB private mail, regular e-mail or by phone but believe me I would not be asking for help unless I needed it. All my contact info is on Facebook. I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful Holiday Season.

Thanks for reading - Kevin
Donate

Donations 

  • Paul Penta
    • $100 (Offline)
    • 10 yrs
  • Sherri Belski
    • $20 (Offline)
    • 10 yrs
  • Paul Gettleman
    • $150 (Offline)
    • 10 yrs
  • Roy Leonard
    • $250 (Offline)
    • 10 yrs
  • Mary Swiss
    • $25 (Offline)
    • 10 yrs
Donate

Organizer

Kevin Vahey
Organizer

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily.

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about.

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the  GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.