After over a year and a half of struggling, it's finally time for us to ask for help.

TLDR: We are trying to raise enough money for one month's rent and lawyer fees.

The Long Version:

We are a lesbian couple living in the California Bay Area. We were both born and raised here, but the cost of living keeps climbing dramatically. We hit a breaking point in 2024 when my wife's disability made it necessary for her to leave her job and take a year off to recover. During that year, our debts skyrocket as I tried to keep us afloat on my income alone while she got well.

I currently work three jobs, one with full-time hours and two with part time hours. My wife has gotten well enough to go back to work, but can only do 15 hours a week at the moment. All three of my jobs are technically contractor/gig jobs, so I don't get any benefits or paid time off.

This all came to a head this month. I was forced by my full time job to take two weeks of unpaid time off while the studio closed for the holidays. Then, in January, our healthcare premium increased ninefold due to the government's failure to renew healthcare assistance in their budget. We can't currently switch healthcare or stop our healthcare coverage, because my wife still needs treatment and medication for her ongoing health issues.

We've been constantly on the back foot, always trying to catch up to what we owe, and we are hoping this GoFundMe will allow us the grace we need to get back on top of things. Our goal amount represents one month's rent and the cost of our Bankruptcy lawyer's fees. After needing to go into debt while my wife recovered, bankruptcy represents a new chance of financial freedom for us.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Anything helps.