A plea

Many of us are hurting so it hurts me a little to make this plea.

Meet Maye. I met Maye last summer (‘24) through a dating app. She has an adult son who’s 23 named Pablo, a 10-year-old named Camilo now living with his father in Chile and these two adorable 6-year-old goons—Sarah and Rossy.

In April we started living together full-time, creating a beautiful new family.

Maye is from Venezuela, having arrived here by invitation of the U.S. government in 2023. She has family also in LaCrosse and Chicago. When we met she was working a very labor-intensive job in Arcadia, WI. She was content there and the pay was good. However, this spring the new Administration ended TPS for her and she no longer has a work permit. Until maybe early next year, when as an asylum applicant she should be eligible to work again.

In May, I finally ended an 11-year journey obtaining my education in law and social work. Previously, I had taken my first position as a licensed attorney in Winona as an Assistant County Attorney there. I loved it, especially as I moved into working with juvenile offenders. After I’d been hired, the opportunity to wrap up my MSW at St. Kate’s presented itself. Those studies had been on hold since 2020, while I navigated life, COVID, family life, passing the bar exam, and finally the character and fitness review necessitated by my eventful life story. My boss at Winona was initially very supportive in agreeing to allow me to take time away from the office for completing my degree, but later (I think bowing to pressure from others) changed her mind. I stopped working at Winona about a year ago, continuing my part-time coursework and working about 18 hours per week in my required clinical field placement/internship through to May.

This summer contained the highest of highs and some significant lows. We’ve navigated multiple health scares, surgeries, car breakdowns, and more. But we’ve also grown together as family. Maye is studying English. I’m continuing to learn Spanish, accelerated since I now use it daily. The girls are probably ready to write a novel in English already, a learning process that’s been beautiful to behold. And I’m learning so much more about being a parent.

But we’re broke. And there are lots of bills.

My days are currently spent DoorDashing about 12 hours per day most days, which is the amount needed to keep things afloat. I don’t mind it, and in fact having children to support gives me a much more significant impetus to keep up my hustle—a joy. However it also makes it hard to find time and energy for the career launching I need to be doing. The reading, thinking and writing I want to do to re-clarify my “why” and my “how” at this juncture is one thing, but another is getting out there and connecting or re-connecting with attorneys. The next step has long been planned to be developing my skills as a practicing attorney.

All that said, my momentum this fall has ramped up a lot. I can feel how I will find my next job soon, and it’s always been that feeling—part confidence, part enthusiasm, part creative problem-solving—that propels me to my next level.

In the meantime, I have decided to ask for help one more time. School is done, but I’m now in the period before I start a position that can last a long time and build into the future. The future looks bright right now in so many ways. Any contribution, however small, would be a great help to us. If you can donate, and you live nearby, I will personally deliver a little of Maye’s amazing cooking to you as a token of our appreciation.

Muchas gracias and thank you very much from all of us!