Hi, my name is Zach. I'm a veteran, a Central Valley local, a designer, developer, and a guy who has always found a way to make things work — until this past year threw me a curveball I wasn't ready for.

A broken hip and subsequent amputation all in a year, and just like that, the life I had built — the client work, the freelance hustle, the ability to pick up manual labor when design work was slow — all of it went on pause. I spent over a year focused on recovery, burned through my savings just covering the basics, and came out the other side still standing. Literally learning to stand again, actually.

I'm not writing this because I've given up. I'm writing this because I'm closer than ever to getting back on track and I just need a bridge to get there.

I have real projects in motion. I'm building a local digital network for the Central Valley that I've been working toward for over 15 years. I have a youth sports platform in development. I have clients who want to work with me. The foundation is there — I just got knocked off my feet for a while, and the financial hit from this past year is still catching up with me.

This month, the VA applied my entire disability check toward medical bills, leaving me with zero income. Zero. I'm not blaming anyone — the system is what it is — but the timing couldn't be worse. I'm doing everything right to fix it, but these things take time.

I'm asking for help covering essentials — rent, utilities, food, and enough breathing room to finish what I've started and get back to earning on my own. My goal is $5,000, which buys me roughly 2-3 months of stability while the VA situation gets sorted and my projects reach launch.

If you've ever rooted for the underdog, I'd be honored to be yours right now. Every dollar helps and every share means the world.

Thank you for reading. — Zach