Asking for help like this is incredibly difficult for me. I've gone back and forth about even creating this fundraiser, but my family has reached a point where I have to put my pride aside and admit that we could use some help.

We've been struggling financially for quite some time. We've cut expenses, prioritized the bills that absolutely have to be paid, gone without things, and done everything we can to keep moving forward.

And somehow, little by little, we've made progress.

For the first time in a long time, I feel like we're so close to being okay again. We just need a little help getting across that last stretch.

My husband is a Marine veteran, and because of the lasting effects of his military service, a traditional job isn't really an option for him. Finding work that he is able to do and that can provide a reliable income for our family has been incredibly difficult. We continue to hope that the right opportunity will come along, but we don't know when that will be.

For now, much of the responsibility for keeping our household going financially has fallen on me.

I've been doing everything I can to keep us afloat, but one income only stretches so far. When you're already behind, even ordinary expenses can make it feel impossible to catch up. Every time we make progress, something else seems to need attention.

The hardest part is that we really are close.

We're not asking anyone to fix our lives or support us indefinitely. We're asking for a little breathing room — enough to catch up on the bills that have accumulated, keep our essential household expenses covered, and finally get our feet underneath us again instead of constantly trying to recover from being one step behind.

Every donation will go toward helping us stabilize our household and get through this difficult stretch. I know money is tight for so many people, and I don't take lightl

the fact that I'm asking others to share what they have with my family. If you're able to contribute, even a small amount makes a difference. If you can't donate, sharing our fundraiser would mean just as much to us.

We're doing our best. We're still fighting. We're still moving forward.

We're just asking for a little help getting from almost okay to okay.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for helping us in whatever way you can.