Covid Era Survival
Dear Donors,
My name is Jessica Stewart.
First, thank you for taking the time to read my story. Like many American families, mine is facing an unprecedented financial challenge.
My Journey:
I am a recent college grad with a hefty student loan balance, two disabilities and a passion for my chosen field, teaching.
https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fs%2Fenb1nzqjanfxur3%2FJessica-Mitchell.MOV%3Fdl%3D0&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGeXDFNzkUSZdZaIA5YUx4rFpWzJQ
My job search proved mostly fruitless; faced with a flooded, highly competitive market and hierarchical course appointments, I, like many hopefuls, found myself looking into other ways to make an honest living putting my strengths to good use.
Enter Covid 19:
I’d just landed a promising position with a tutoring company when Covid made landfall and brought an abrupt halt to everything. Despite having signed and submitted a contract, I never did hear back from that tutoring company and was unsuccessful in my attempts to reach them.
Seemingly all at once, my hopes of lifting myself out of poverty began to fade, as budget shortfalls and operational chaos forced educational institution after educational institution to close its doors to new hires.
The Fallout:
I became more frantic in my efforts to find something, anything to keep myself afloat as, even with payment arrangements, pay plans and stringent budgeting, the figures on the utility bills began to climb and the ability to keep up with them became more and more difficult to manage on a fixed income.
Wanting to stay as close to the surface as possible and in an effort to be financially responsible, I paid what little I could toward the balances and continued making rent payments on time and in full, in spite of the rent moratorium.
The Crisis:
Here in late October, things have hit critical mass; with the rent moratorium coming to an end in two short months, a water heater that needs immediate replacing, an impending and unaffordable rent increase, an unexpected medical crisis I cannot afford, three and four-figure utility bills and sky-rocketing food prices, I find myself on a collision course with a potentially crippling medical and financial reckoning.
Taking Responsibility:
As a client of the Department of Rehabilitation, I am currently working with a non-profit organization that specializes in putting disabled adults to work.
I have and will continue to work diligently toward financial independence and stability, meeting weekly with my job developer and submitting resumes and application materials to distance learning institutions, domestic and international tutoring companies and local online colleges.
Talking Specifics: Where Your Donations Will Go:
The first $400 will go directly to the utility companies so that I can keep to my respective payment arrangements.
$100 will go toward a major down-payment on gum therapy that will aid in a safer and more speedy recovery from my upcoming oral procedure.
$400 will go toward groceries, transportation and other day to day expenses for a period of two months or until I land a position.
The Remaining $300 will be set aside to cover the upcoming rent increase for a period of two months or until such time as I land a position.
My Cause:
Please understand that asking for help has and continues to be a difficult thing for me. I’ve prided myself on remaining independent in all things, even and especially as a member of the disabled community. But with so much uncertainty swirling around me and with everything resting on a knife’s edge, I worry about my short-term survival and live in fear of the long-term, profound and far-reaching physical and financial consequences of my current plight.
I lay awake every night wondering how I will manage a health crisis and continue in the job search without water, electricity or a home address?
How might my worsening medical condition negatively impact my job prospects?
If the worst happens and I find myself in the same boat as so many other homeless Americans, how will I keep safe, particularly in the midst of a pandemic, wide-spread food insecurity and dropping temperatures?
How will I safely navigate the various programs for the homeless, many of which are either exhausted, overwhelmed or inaccessible to persons with my kind of disabilities?
How will I protect what little resources I’d still have against those who may be driven by desperation to take criminal action to survive?
What Your Gift Will Do:
Your gift will give me the temporary security and breathing room I need to continue toward my ultimate goal of joining the workforce and becoming a productive member of society.
With the aid of your generosity, I can remain in my home, prevent a potentially life-threatening condition, maintain access to food, medicine and clean water and to the electricity that virtual interviews and online application submittals require.
My Thanks:
I know that there are countless stories just like mine; so many are suffering right now, and the calls for help may be equally, if not more, compelling than my own.
You yourself may be at or approaching a difficult spot.
Know that you have my deepest appreciation for considering my cause and doing what you can to help me.
Boost the Signal:
If at all possible, please share my story with friends, relatives, social media followers and anyone you think may be able to help.
Warmly,
Jessica
My name is Jessica Stewart.
First, thank you for taking the time to read my story. Like many American families, mine is facing an unprecedented financial challenge.
My Journey:
I am a recent college grad with a hefty student loan balance, two disabilities and a passion for my chosen field, teaching.
https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fs%2Fenb1nzqjanfxur3%2FJessica-Mitchell.MOV%3Fdl%3D0&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGeXDFNzkUSZdZaIA5YUx4rFpWzJQ
My job search proved mostly fruitless; faced with a flooded, highly competitive market and hierarchical course appointments, I, like many hopefuls, found myself looking into other ways to make an honest living putting my strengths to good use.
Enter Covid 19:
I’d just landed a promising position with a tutoring company when Covid made landfall and brought an abrupt halt to everything. Despite having signed and submitted a contract, I never did hear back from that tutoring company and was unsuccessful in my attempts to reach them.
Seemingly all at once, my hopes of lifting myself out of poverty began to fade, as budget shortfalls and operational chaos forced educational institution after educational institution to close its doors to new hires.
The Fallout:
I became more frantic in my efforts to find something, anything to keep myself afloat as, even with payment arrangements, pay plans and stringent budgeting, the figures on the utility bills began to climb and the ability to keep up with them became more and more difficult to manage on a fixed income.
Wanting to stay as close to the surface as possible and in an effort to be financially responsible, I paid what little I could toward the balances and continued making rent payments on time and in full, in spite of the rent moratorium.
The Crisis:
Here in late October, things have hit critical mass; with the rent moratorium coming to an end in two short months, a water heater that needs immediate replacing, an impending and unaffordable rent increase, an unexpected medical crisis I cannot afford, three and four-figure utility bills and sky-rocketing food prices, I find myself on a collision course with a potentially crippling medical and financial reckoning.
Taking Responsibility:
As a client of the Department of Rehabilitation, I am currently working with a non-profit organization that specializes in putting disabled adults to work.
I have and will continue to work diligently toward financial independence and stability, meeting weekly with my job developer and submitting resumes and application materials to distance learning institutions, domestic and international tutoring companies and local online colleges.
Talking Specifics: Where Your Donations Will Go:
The first $400 will go directly to the utility companies so that I can keep to my respective payment arrangements.
$100 will go toward a major down-payment on gum therapy that will aid in a safer and more speedy recovery from my upcoming oral procedure.
$400 will go toward groceries, transportation and other day to day expenses for a period of two months or until I land a position.
The Remaining $300 will be set aside to cover the upcoming rent increase for a period of two months or until such time as I land a position.
My Cause:
Please understand that asking for help has and continues to be a difficult thing for me. I’ve prided myself on remaining independent in all things, even and especially as a member of the disabled community. But with so much uncertainty swirling around me and with everything resting on a knife’s edge, I worry about my short-term survival and live in fear of the long-term, profound and far-reaching physical and financial consequences of my current plight.
I lay awake every night wondering how I will manage a health crisis and continue in the job search without water, electricity or a home address?
How might my worsening medical condition negatively impact my job prospects?
If the worst happens and I find myself in the same boat as so many other homeless Americans, how will I keep safe, particularly in the midst of a pandemic, wide-spread food insecurity and dropping temperatures?
How will I safely navigate the various programs for the homeless, many of which are either exhausted, overwhelmed or inaccessible to persons with my kind of disabilities?
How will I protect what little resources I’d still have against those who may be driven by desperation to take criminal action to survive?
What Your Gift Will Do:
Your gift will give me the temporary security and breathing room I need to continue toward my ultimate goal of joining the workforce and becoming a productive member of society.
With the aid of your generosity, I can remain in my home, prevent a potentially life-threatening condition, maintain access to food, medicine and clean water and to the electricity that virtual interviews and online application submittals require.
My Thanks:
I know that there are countless stories just like mine; so many are suffering right now, and the calls for help may be equally, if not more, compelling than my own.
You yourself may be at or approaching a difficult spot.
Know that you have my deepest appreciation for considering my cause and doing what you can to help me.
Boost the Signal:
If at all possible, please share my story with friends, relatives, social media followers and anyone you think may be able to help.
Warmly,
Jessica
Organizer
Jessica Stewart
Organizer
Encino, CA