Hello, our names are Chris and Amber, and we could really use your help.

We feel sad writing this, but we are in desperate need of financial help. I, Chris, made a decision in my career to pivot towards becoming a substitute teacher. I used to be a special education paraprofessional for six years, and thought this change would be an upgrade to our finances and my mental health. I was told a lot of positive things about the job, and I felt confident in making the transition. And so far, it has mostly been a joy. I have been able to teach in different classrooms a variety of subjects, have enjoyed the classes I've been in, and it's been a huge boost to my mental health. However, it has unfortunately not been the financial boon we had hoped for. It's been the opposite, in fact; I do not get sufficient work to make money to sustain ourselves (my next paycheck will only be for five days worth of work for an entire month), and on top of that, we lost our insurance benefits. We made that decision thinking I would get a sufficient amount of work and earn back my benefits soon enough, not to mention being told by multiple people that insurance would not cost as much as it actually does. However, the reality is it is very unlikely I will work the hours needed to get benefits by the end of the academic year, and unfortunately, I've been told the hours reset the following year, restarting all the work I've put in. Health insurance is not cheap, either, as we are now paying an additional $600 a month, in addition to our previous bills and debt. I have tried asking if my old job was still available , but unfortunately the position was filled, so I will have to continue working this job for the moment and find additional income elsewhere.

Amber is already working as hard as she can, producing artwork for her wonderful clients, but she is physically unable to take on more work. Raising her prices has unfortunately not helped. As such, we are sorry to ask, but we could use any financial help we can get. We want to eliminate debt to make room for the additional $600. I am hoping work will pick up, but it is such a question mark at the moment. By eliminating a couple of loans, this will help free up a significant amount of money for our budget, and allow us to pay our bills with significantly less stress.

Thank you for reading. We really appreciate any help we get. Neither Amber or I are fond of using our image, so here are our two dogs, Digby and Chili, to give you some amusement and joy.