Its with great shame that I write to tell my friends and community that I've come face to face with housing insecurity. A few years ago I purchased my first home and shortly after my father passed unexpectedly. It completely reshaped the landscape of my family and the role I would have to assume to keep us whole. My mother's mental health took a sharp descent, which directly affected her ability to care for herself and my siblings. She lost her home and since last year I have been a full time parent in custody of my six year old sister. Naturally, this also reshaped my career and schedule as a newly returning full-time university student. In a short time, I would leave my corporate job and rebound as a bartender to supplement income. When I came into care of baby, this would not remain sustainable to accommodate her school schedule based on what the job required of me in late-night hours. The leadership structure at my job has been lovingly flexible and understanding of my need in terms of scheduling, but the state of political affairs has also greatly affected the neighborhood where I work resulting in a steep decline of business. With money drying up quickly, a tiny mouth to feed and little to no help from family, I began looking down the barrel of missed mortgage payments and HOA fees.

Today, my mortgage servicer is attempting to fast-track a foreclosure. With diligent work over the summer and baby on vacation, I was able to put together $5,000. However the servicer has offset the delinquency to a law group now processing an active foreclosure of the property. With the added legal fees, penalties and 'corporate advances', I am looking at upwards of ten grand. The situation is very serious and in spite of my pride in not wanting to ask for help, I am no longer in a place where I can rule out any assistance. I am wrestling with a deep discomfort in revealing this truth to my community as I have remained a highly private and somewhat elusive individual. Those who see and hear from me even on a semi-regular basis see only smiles.

There is currently no sale date on my property. While it grants me a small window to meet the balance, this is a volatile position to be in as the lawyers can essentially assign one at any time. From the moment a sale date is placed, I could have anywhere from thirty to ninety days to settle the score.

Part of me wants to fan out the feathers of my accolades and struggles to help showcase why I am deserving of your help. The truth is that I'm embarrassed. I want to lean on how I was the first and how hard I worked and did it all by myself. The other part of me feels depleted by the prospect of airing out a sob story that pales in comparison to what some others are experiencing in todays America and beyond. At a time where displacement is on the heels of most everyone's next paycheck, who am I to be in need? The real truth is that I need to be there for this kid y'all. As the first and last in my family; The person who has always had to have their shit together and never been able to ask for help, I am asking with terrible humility. Please help me save my home so that I can extend that security to my baby. I love y'all. Thanks for reading.