Hi everyone, this is not easy… I recently left my job because of severe workplace abuse. Best decision I could have made at the time. I knew rafting season was coming and my tax return of $2,000 was supposed to come. But it didn’t… I spent endless hours on the phone with the IRS and the best reason they could give me for it disappearing and not coming is because “I must have not paid taxes last year,” which is 100% not true. I had 5 jobs, all of which taxes were paid. I got completely screwed. My rent, car insurance, car registration, past due PGE bill, and bald tires desperately needing replacement were all counting on my tax return.

To make matters worse, I ran my phone over with a tractor, spent 100 on a new screen and dropped it in the toilet the next day. So I relapsed and went on a bender with a so-called “friend.” He robbed me. Took the last of what I had via Venmo after giving him a life jacket, helmet, clothes, and food. I have tried desperately to get it back after it sent my account into negative. When I realized what happened, it was too late. Heartless monster. Now I have nothing to my name. With the thought of being evicted and losing everything, I believed taking my own life was the only option and ended up in the hospital.

After getting out I turned it around. I began working with a new counselor and doctor, got a new sponsor and started working the steps again, started going back to meetings for support, I started attending church and most importantly, I let the bender just stay as that, not allowing it to take me back to the life I will not live in. My family has sent me a grocery gift card, and dad sent some gas money to get me through the next two weeks. I am hopeful that HEAP can help me with my energy bill but I have some missing documents that only my parents 1 of them has cut me out so I am patiently waiting. I am not working… yet. I need a WFA cert to begin officially working, another $265. I start training on a new river this week which is a dream come true after the heartache of losing my favorite river home. I am so beyond grateful to the amazing people giving me these wonderful opportunities on the water but I am unsure of when I will get income again. This is an incredibly humbling, humiliating act of desperation. I am not sure how far I will get, and if I cannot reach my goal, I plan to give any donations back. This is my last resort and thank you for hearing my story and being in my life. If you have any suggestions, I would really appreciate that too. Anything helps even if it’s just support. This is verrrrryyy hard, but I have to try anything I can to keep my home where it’s at. I will be selling tons of crap too lol clothes, gear, beauty products, gift cards etc. on marketplace so if you are interested I am taking any and all offers. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.