I’m looking for help or advice. I was laid off on 10/30/2023, found a contract position in Dec 2023 & was laid off from that in March 2024. Since then, like so many others, I’ve lost count of how many applications I’ve filled out. Most go into a black hole & there is nothing. Recruiters call, get my resume & then ghost me. None of the interviews I’ve had have resulted in a job offer. I either get ghosted (again) despite following up or rarely get an email with various statements of why I didn’t get the job offer. I’ve even applied for retail, grocery & gas stations with no results at all.

I’ve gotten help with revising my resume, networked & applied on job boards with no success. I’ve always been proud of the fact that I’ve been working since I was 12. I had a paper route in Rochester, NY & the people I delivered the paper to (the Rochester Times Union) made jokes that the mailman might not have gotten thru to deliver the mail during the *lovely* winters we had but I always got the newspaper delivered every day Monday thru Saturday. I've always worked except for times when I was laid off & all I really want is a job & to be able to pay my bills.

The max unemployment in Texas is a little over $2000 a month. It does not cover rent and utilities/food. I’ve had to use my 401k (I did not have much in it) to pay bills and have lost my medical, car & renter’s insurance. I can no longer afford my prescriptions for chronic health issues (asthma, diabetes, blood pressure & mental health) either.

I’ve been using the local Food Pantry to lower my grocery bills, cut unnecessary spending & signed up with a Dallas County agency for assistance with my electric bill. The agency that runs the Food Pantry has also been helping me with financial coaching & career advice for my resume.

I have not been able to pay my rent & was in eviction court yesterday morning & given 5 days to pay the entire balance or leave. I have 4 days left. My family members are not able to help me with either the rent or with a place to stay which will leave me homeless. My sister has been invaluable by helping me look for jobs & asking her friends to keep an eye out as well.

I do not have any other options that I can see but I am open to suggestions. My Unemployment ends in 3 weeks.

What I am asking for is:

1. If you know of any charities in Dallas that can assist me with paying my rent. I’ve called multiple agencies but none had funds. (Too many people are going thru the same thing unfortunately.) I got a list from Dallas County but there were quite a few that do not actually provide rental assistance or their phone went directly to voicemails that were full.

2. If you know of any jobs or recruiters please let me know & I can contact them. For reference, I’ve been a Desktop Support tech for over 10 years. Hardware/software break/fix type jobs. Or possibly Junior System Admin, Asset Management or Identity Access Management.

3. If you can donate, no matter what the amount is, so that I can pay my rent up & avoid eviction. If I am not able to reach my goal & have to leave in 4 days, I will use whatever funds I receive to secure a place to stay if I can. With an eviction on my record that will probably mean a weekly rate motel. If I am able to reach my goal or exceed it, everything I receive will go to pay my rent up or in advance.

Any help or advice is appreciated.

And if you got this far & need a laugh – the one bright side of this is that I’ve lost 20+ pounds in the last 4 months due to the stress. At least there is a positive part of this right? :)

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Update 7/15. I just wanted to update & say thank you to those who were able to help. I have 1 day left if anyone else is able to help. I had to put one of my cats to sleep this morning because she was getting sicker & wouldn't be able to survive living in my car with me. And I got a reject email from a job I applied to. All in all, not my best day.