Brenda "Miss B" Needs to Move

Brenda “Miss B” Needs to Move

My name is Brenda, I am almost 70, and I am more than a little bit frightened about my future. I have worked all my life, I have not lived extravagantly (in fact, some will say I am more than fiscally conservative), and I am about to become indigent

Those of you who know me know that I don’t ask for help easily—almost never. However, I am now in a place I never thought I would be. My back is to the wall, and I need your help to take the next step.

There are four things that combined have put me in this very precarious situation:

1. 10 years ago I became handicapped, and I am unable to do stairs or to walk or stand for any length of time. This has made it difficult for me to successfully compete for jobs.

2. I lost my longtime job in October. The job I lost helped me with medical expenses, and I earned enough to be totally self-sufficient. It is a national company, I was once named national employee of the year, but last year there was a change in management, and I was one of the casualties. Although I have looked daily for a new job opportunity, I have not been able to find a new job. I have worked my entire life and have a great work ethic, I am well known in the community and have a strong reputation for doing a great job. So, to not be able to find a job in nine months of active searching has been a tremendous disappointment.

3. Even though I will be turning 70 in December, I still believe I should have been able to find a job. That I have been unsuccessful has been a huge emotional and financial blow. I don’t have any family in Hawaii, my brothers are on the eastern seaboard, and if you have ever visited Hawaii, you know how expensive everything is—from 47 cents a kilowatt hour electricity to $9/gallon for milk. Life here is very hard if you don’t have a job—and I don’t. So, I have concluded that my only choice is to relocate to South Carolina where I will have some support from family, where costs of living are lower, and I might be able to survive successfully on my social security alone.

4. Presently, my only source of income is Social Security, and it doesn’t cover my Hawaii living costs each month. Because Hawaii is a vacation destination, all housing, no matter how modest, is very expensive. I have applied for senior housing which would be affordable, but the waiting list is estimated at 3 years. I will be completely out of savings in the next two months.

These four things combined have really put me in a bind. I need help with funds to be able to move from Hawaii, a place I have called home for 22 years, to South Carolina where my brother lives. The cost to live in South Carolina is dramatically lower than Hawaii, and I believe that if I can just make this move, I will be able to support myself in full going forward.

In order to accomplish this, I need help with the costs of relocation.  I have gotten multiple bids for the move, and I think these costs are pretty close. A good friend is arranging for my airline ticket from Hawaii to South Carolina, but I need help with the remainder of the costs.

The estimated funds needed are $15,370.  If you can donate anything it will be more than appreciated.