Hello, my name is Josh Lovell, and I never thought I’d be writing something like this. I’m a husband and a first-time dad to our beautiful baby girl, Daisy Marie. My wife, Chrisy, works part-time at Subway, and together we’ve always worked hard to make ends meet.

For the past two years, we’ve been completely off government housing assistance, and we were so proud of what we had built. We weren’t rich, but we were stable, comfortable, and living within our means — something that meant the world to us.

Then, out of nowhere, everything changed. Four Mondays ago, I received a text message that I was no longer employed. I had been making about $1,300 a week, which supported our small family comfortably. Now, I’m only receiving $200 a week in unemployment, which barely covers Daisy’s needs alone, leaving nothing for bills.

I’ve been applying non-stop for new work and have had several interviews, but nothing has come through yet. I’m also signed up with two staffing agencies and doing everything I can to get back to work as quickly as possible.

Right now, we’re facing a real emergency. Our electric bill of $500 is due in two days, and the power will be shut off if we can’t pay it. We also have rent of $850 due November 1st. Last month, we received an eviction notice for October, and I was able to cover it at the very last minute by taking out loans. Unfortunately, we can’t take out any more — it would consume my wife’s entire paycheck and still not be enough.

Daisy is our whole world. She’s just 9 months old, and everything we do revolves around keeping her happy, healthy, and safe. The thought of not being able to keep her warm or fed breaks my heart.

Chrisy has tried to get extra hours at work, but there are none available. We were approved for help through Catholic Charities, but after the government shutdown, the funding was frozen, and they had to cancel our assistance. On top of that, starting in November, our food stamps will be reduced by $500, which will make things even harder.

We’ve been going to food pantries these past two weeks just to keep food on the table. Every penny we have goes toward the essentials for Daisy.

We have no family here in Oklahoma to lean on, and we honestly keep to ourselves, so we don’t have friends nearby who could help. Our families love us, but they’re struggling too and live far away. We share one van between our jobs and Daisy’s doctor appointments, so we’re constantly juggling everything we can.

Chrisy also recently lost her health insurance, and now her insulin, pain medication, and antidepressant prescriptions are out-of-pocket — another heavy burden we’re trying to manage.

We also have a sweet cat, Gizmo, who’s part of our little family. If anyone is more comfortable helping in other ways, we completely understand. You’re welcome to pay directly toward our electric account (I can provide the account number privately) or send essential items — like baby products for Daisy, cat food or litter for Gizmo, or basic household needs like shampoo, conditioner, or toothpaste — through Amazon delivery if that’s easier.

I’m not someone who asks for help easily. My wife actually wanted to make this GoFundMe sooner, but I kept trying to find another way. I’m very prideful, but right now I’m swallowing that pride because I cannot let my family down — especially not Daisy.

Please, if you have it in your heart to help us keep our lights on, stay in our home, and make it through this hard time, it would mean the absolute world to us. Every little bit helps — truly. Even sharing this page makes a difference.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for taking the time to read our story and for caring about a small family trying to hold on. I promise, once I’m back on my feet, I’ll pay this kindness forward.

With deep gratitude,

Josh Lovell

Chrisy, Daisy Marie, and Gizmo