On Thursday, 12/11, I was involved in a car accident that resulted in my vehicle being totaled. Thankfully, both the other driver and I were able to walk away, and I’m incredibly grateful that everyone was safe. Since the accident, I’ve been dealing with back, neck, and rib pain, which has impacted my ability to work while I focus on recovery.

At the time of the accident, I was already under significant financial strain. I was working three jobs, often 14–16 hour days, six days a week, trying to stabilize things. Just one week prior to the accident, I made the extremely difficult decision to close my shop, Velvet Honey Mercantile, in Railroad Square — a choice made out of necessity, not lack of effort. Unfortunately, I’m still responsible for shop-related expenses through February.

Losing my vehicle has made everything feel overwhelming. I’m currently unable to do delivery driving without a car, and I will also be missing work at my third job from 12/24–1/5 due to scheduling and the holidays. To add to this, I recently came down with strep throat, further limiting my ability to work during an already critical time. I do not have health insurance, which makes even basic medical care stressful.

I still owed money on my auto loan, and my insurance deductible is $2,500. While I should receive a small payout from insurance that may help toward another vehicle, there is a significant gap in the meantime that has made this period especially difficult.

Right now, my partner, our dog, and I are staying with family about 30 minutes from town. Without reliable transportation, getting to and from work has been challenging. Funds raised will help cover transportation costs, missed income, rent, utilities, shop expenses, and basic living needs as we work toward securing a vehicle and moving closer to our jobs.

Asking for help does not come easily to me. I’ve truly exhausted every option I could think of before getting to this point. I know this is a difficult time for so many, especially during the holidays, and any support — whether through donating or sharing — truly means more than I can express.

If you’d like to support in another way, you can also shop my online store, where everything is currently 50–60% off for the holidays.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, for caring, and for helping us move toward a more stable next chapter