Hi everyone, my name is Dre.

​For those who don’t know me, my entire world revolves around my three daughters (ages 12, 9, and 8). For the last 13 years, I was a stay-at-home dad. I poured everything I had into raising my girls, being the constant presence in their lives while my partner worked.

​About a year ago, our lives were turned upside down. My ex-partner, who was the high-income earner for our family, abandoned all financial responsibilities, leaving me to pick up the pieces with zero resources. Despite the upheaval and the sudden loss of support, my daughters chose to live with me. They needed stability, and they chose their dad.

​That is a responsibility I take incredibly seriously. For the last 12 months, I have been fighting silently to make it work. I’ve returned to the workforce building pool enclosures and lanais, doing everything I can to be the provider they chose. But after a year of grinding without the right resources, I am running out of options. I have reached a desperate point where I can no longer do this alone.

​I have the skills and the drive to work, but right now, I am trapped in a vicious cycle because I do not have a vehicle.

​Without a car, I cannot get to job sites consistently. Because I can’t get to work, the paychecks are sporadic. This has left us in a position where I have to pick and choose which bills get paid. Food is short, and I am constantly prioritizing keeping the lights on over a full fridge. My girls are physically outgrowing their clothes, and I can't afford to buy them things that fit. We’ve even had to cut the internet, which makes schoolwork hard for them.

​Because of the financial abandonment, we are now facing foreclosure. I am fighting to keep the only home my daughters have ever known, but I cannot navigate the legal system alone. I need a lawyer not just for custody, but to fight this foreclosure and ensure my ex-partner is held accountable.

​The hardest part isn’t the stress on me; it’s seeing how this limits my daughters. My oldest is 12 and has poured her heart into basketball. It is her escape and the one normal thing she has left. But without a car, getting her to practice is a daily gamble. I try my hardest to make sure she makes it because I know it is the best thing for her mental health, but relying on rides is just not sustainable anymore.

​I never wanted to be here asking for help, but I am out of options. I am asking $20,000 to help stabilize our lives. This money isn't for luxury; it is for survival. It will go towards:

• Legal Fees: To hire a lawyer to save our home from foreclosure and file for the divorce.

• A reliable vehicle and car insurance so I can get to work and get the kids to school.

• Immediate essentials: food, clothes, catching up on utility bills,covering daily necessities like toiletries and hygiene, basic house supplies and shoes.

​Your donation isn't hiring a lawyer or getting a car; it is helping a father keep his promise to his daughters that everything is going to be okay. It is keeping a 12-year-old on the basketball court where she belongs.

​Thank you for reading, sharing, and helping us keep moving forward.

​With gratitude,

​Dre