It’s incredibly hard and humbling to even write this. It comes with a lot of embarrassment and shame to admit that my wife and I are struggling — and have been for almost a year now. We’ve tried to keep it together and handle everything quietly, but we’ve reached a point where we just don’t know what else to do.

From December and a few months to follow, I didn’t and couldn’t find a job up until recently. I work two jobs, and my wife works 12-hour shifts and still picks up extra shifts whenever she can. Despite all of that, we’re falling behind — on our home, our car, bankruptcy payments, and all other bills that just keep piling up no matter how hard we try to stay ahead.

We don’t live beyond our means. We don’t travel, we don’t go out, we don’t splurge. We simply work, come home, and try to keep going. But lately, it feels like no matter how hard we fight, we just can’t seem to catch a break.

Because of a bankruptcy I filed three years ago, we can’t apply for a personal loan. We’ve exhausted every option we can think of. This is our last resort — reaching out and asking for help, even though it’s something that’s incredibly hard for us to do.

We’re good, honest people who have always tried to stand on our own two feet. We just need a little help to breathe and get back on track.

Even if you can’t donate, simply reading, sharing, or keeping us in your thoughts truly helps more than you know. From the bottom of our hearts — thank you for your kindness, understanding, and grace as we navigate this part of our lives.