Who is this fundraiser for?

I am fundraising to support my good friend Sarah. We met over thirteen years ago in dance class and have been friends ever since. She has been there for me in many difficult situations and cheered for me in the happy ones. And now it is my time to do the same for her.

A dream cut short

In 2014 Sarah fulfilled her lifelong dream of moving to the United States – Atlanta, Georgia to be precise. She has built herself a beautiful life in these almost nine years. Sarah volunteers at an animal shelter weekly, takes on dog-sitting jobs, and loves to visit the botanical garden. She is loved by many and goes the extra mile for the community she lives in. Recently, she was even able to buy a small house for herself on the outskirts of the city. Life seemed perfect.

Now this dream is hanging on by a thread. Sarah came to the U.S. with a visa that was tied to her working for a German company (E-2 visa). Her employer, however, suddenly sold the company to a Portuguese business. Despite reassurance that this would not change anything for her, one day she received a call from HR informing her that her visa was void effective immediately. Sarah’s world shattered. She now has 60 days to leave the United States.

But Sarah is a fighter and won’t give up on her American Dream this easily. She researched ways to stay. Her new employer and Sarah eventually agreed to apply for a different visa (H1B visa) – for which she fortunately was drawn in the visa lottery. This type of visa is only given out twice a year. Because of this, her application for the visa won’t be finalized until end of September/ beginning of October. As a result, she has to leave the country between May and October. Since her visa is currently void, Sarah received a German working contract which drastically lowered her salary (lower cost of living in Germany  lower salary).

What are the funds for?

Since Sarah has to leave her U.S. home for a few months, she’s confronted with a lot of unexpected costs. She will have to pay rent in Germany and the mortgage for her house in the United States. Additionally, she will have to end a couple of contracts (car lease, insurance, phone, etc.) prematurely, resulting in early termination fees ranging between $200-400 per contract. Her employer refuses to help with these costs and due to her recent house purchase and the accompanying hit to her credit score, further loans would be detrimental. Therefore, I suggested crowdfunding and hope to help her in this extremely difficult situation.

The funds will be used to pay for the following:

• Flight to Germany in May

• Flight back to the United States in October

• Early termination fees

• Mortgage

• Alarm system in her U.S. Home

This situation came about through no fault of Sarah, yet she is suffering drastic consequences that uproot her from the nation that she calls home. A place where she has her routines, her friends, and her volunteering position. A place that has made her happier than I have ever seen her before.

Therefore I am asking you to please consider donating to help this wonderful human being that I get to call a friend. Every dollar counts!