When COVID hit in 2019, I lost my job as a server.one of the first to shut down. I had all six of my children at home with me, no income, no car, no support. That was just the beginning of a storm that hasn’t let up since.

At the end of 2019, after 18 years together, my children’s father walked out and left all six kids with me. Six months later, he came back not to help, but to take the kids without telling me where they were. Out of spite, he reported me for food stamp fraud and even told my rent office I was lying about my lease because the kids weren’t there anymore. I lost everything. No job. No car. No support.

In 2021, my son was shot and nearly lost his life. He went through five surgeries, but thank God he survived. Just as we were recovering, my brother took his own life in my mother’s house. The pain from that still haunts me.

Soon after, my children’s father dropped all six kids back on my porch. with no clothes, no school supplies, nothing. I had no car, no income, no idea how I was going to get them back in school. Around that same time, my estranged mother, who I hadn’t grown up with, showed up on my porch with suitcases after losing her home. I let her stay.

Then my oldest son, who was struggling mentally, came back to me from a dangerous situation. He had been laced, traumatized, and later went to prison for a year. He’s home now, but he’s not the same. I can’t abandon him, but it’s like me and my kids live in a prison too.

Last year in July, my power was shut off for 7 days. I paid $1,500 to get it back on. Now, my power has been off for 19 days. It’s the middle of summer, back-to-school season, and my kids are sleeping in heat, with no food, no fridge, and nowhere to shower unless I scrape up enough for a hotel. I’m working, but I’m the only one providing. No help. No husband. No family. Just me.

I live in low-income housing built in the 1940s, full of mold, broken meters, and no accountability. My power bill has been running $300–$350/month in an 800 sq ft apartment, and now they’re demanding $3,298 a mix of current and back bills. They told me my usage is impossible and to talk to my landlord, but nothing is being done. The back bills have been building for months. I’ve paid something every month, but it’s not enough to keep up.

I’m not asking for luxuries. My kids don’t get vacations, trips, or even much of a summer. They never complain. They are so humble, patient, and understanding, and all I want is to give them a safe, stable home with electricity and a fresh start this school year.

This GoFundMe is my last resort. I’m asking for help to raise $3,298 to get my lights turned back on, clear this overwhelming debt, and finally breathe again, for me and my babies.

If you’re reading this and can find it in your heart to donate, anything helps, even a share, a prayer, or a kind word.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. ❤️

– Brandy Holland