After surviving the loss of 24 loved ones during the pandemic and an initial 11-month job loss, I have spent the last 3 years fighting an uphill battle against an unforgiving economy; racial micro-aggressions towards me, and battling contracts ending leading to job loss.

Despite moving from the bustling MD/DC region to two small southern towns to achieve a lower cost of living after briefly securing a government contract in 2024, I was hit by yet another sudden layoff just months later when the company lost its bid. To keep my head above water, I transitioned into full-time gig work—helping folks with their resumes, some part time talent consulting for small businesses, providing interview prep for other displaced workers, delivering food, doing surveys, along with driving for Uber and Lyft in a small southern town. I have driven by myself through floods and down dark, unpaved roads late at night, sometime fearing for my safety; often putting half my earnings right back into the gas tank just to stay afloat. Listen I’m single, over 45 and this has not been easy. My retirement is gone! I have accumulated multiple visits to the ER to keep my body going. Possessions I worked years to obtain and family heirlooms I can never replace have been sold or given away just to survive.

The Current Crisis:

I’m a Recruiter and HR Professional by trade . I want to work, but I am facing a "broken" job market where I am either ghosted or told I am "overqualified" while my savings and investments have been completely depleted. The ATS systems are auto rejecting applicants who look like me at an astronomically high rate! I have reached a breaking point just like many others in this sandwiched time period:

(Updated -July 2026)

Imminent Displacement: Leased ended 5/31/26– currently displaced; i.e. visiting friends/extended relatives. Where I am currently a homicide took place literally next door— a precious 4 month old murdered. I’m traumatized by this but pushing thru.

Transportation at Risk: Yup gone—My car—my only source of income through gig work—is in jeopardy of repossession this month. (Repossessed as of June 2026).

Family Responsibility: As a single person with very few family members left, I am the primary support for my father in a long-term care facility whose stay there is in jeopardy. Thankfully he is doing fine (I have had more ER visits then he has at 82 ) but I have legal responsibilities for him that I have not been able to complete fully because of financial instability in this whacky world where groceries are a car note each month and gas prices have dang near doubled—thanks President Trump. In fact let me call and complain to the White House.

How You Can Help:

I have always been a "doer," not a "taker." Asking for help is incredibly uncomfortable, but I am putting my pride aside to survive. Your donation will go directly toward:

Securing new, stable housing.

Transportation

Trauma counseling

Covering basic needs like being able to get my regular medicines, keeping my cell phone on to be able to receive a call from a potential employer.

Whether it’s $5 or $50, your support provides more than just a financial cushion—it provides the hope I need to keep going.