My name is Andrea, and I never imagined I’d be in this position. My husband was a fisherman who bravely beat stage 4 cancer, but he passed away suddenly from a heart attack while offshore. This was a very hard time for me and our two children. I had to find work which I found one selling seafood to restaurants and markets. Then hurricanes struck, destroying the beaches, the restaurants I worked with, and causing damage to my home. It was a time when the community pulled together to help each other, but I lost my job and my sense of stability.

As I tried to rebuild, I was hit with more challenges. I got RSV and COVID, which kept me from working for months. I sold my car to try to stay afloat, but now I have no transportation and have been riding my bike to job interviews, which is getting harder as I approach 60. My home is being foreclosed on, I have no water, and my other utilities are about to be shut off. A pipe collapsed under the concrete floor of my home, and I have no way to pay for repairs. I have no food and no way to cover basic needs.

I've always helped others in need, and now I find myself needing help. It's hard to ask, and I feel embarrassed and useless, but I am reaching out because I have nowhere else to turn. If I can get help, I could save my home, fix urgent repairs, pay my utilities, and get my license and a cheap car so I can get to interviews and find work again. Any support would mean the world to me and show me that I'm not alone. Your kindness would give me hope for a better future.