<div>MY REAL LIFE STORY
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<div>Hi, my name is Evelyn Amaya, and some of y’all may know me. But today, I want to share a little more about my life and the experiences that have brought me to where I am today.
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<div>This is not an easy story for me to tell.
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<div>I’ve always tried to handle things on my own. I’ve always believed in working hard, helping people when I can, and trying to find a way forward even when life gets difficult. I’m not someone who likes asking for help.
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<div>But sometimes life puts you in a position where you have to put your pride aside and be honest about what you’re going through.
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<div>After I graduated from high school, I had goals for myself. I wanted to go to school, work, save money, and build a better future.
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<div>So I worked.
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<div>I went to TJC while working the night shift at Big Lots. I was trying to balance school and work while saving money because I wanted to buy myself a better car.
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<div>At the time, I had a green car.
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<div>Some of y’all probably remember seeing me driving it. Honestly, there were times when I felt embarrassed about it because it constantly gave me problems. It would overheat, break down, and leave me dealing with one problem after another.
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<div>But I kept driving it.
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<div>I needed it to get to work. I needed it to get where I needed to go. Even when I was frustrated, embarrassed, or worried that it might break down again, I kept getting behind the wheel.
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<div>Eventually, the problems became too much.
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<div>My car couldn’t reliably make the long drive, and I didn’t have another dependable way to get to college. I had to withdraw from school.
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<div>That was difficult for me.
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<div>But I didn’t stop trying.
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<div>I decided to focus on working. I got two jobs—Bath &amp; Body Works during the day and Big Lots at night.
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<div>I was tired. I was working constantly. But I had a goal.
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<div>I wanted a better car.
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<div>I wanted something reliable.
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<div>I wanted to be able to get to work and continue building my future.
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<div>Later, I was hired to work at a middle school while continuing to work at Bath &amp; Body Works at the mall. Eventually, I left Big Lots and focused on my school job while continuing to save money.
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<div>I even started looking for a third job at Amazon.
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<div>There were times when I barely had any sleep because I was so focused on working and saving.
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<div>But eventually, all that work paid off.
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<div>I saved enough money to get myself a better used car.
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<div>It wasn’t brand new.
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<div>But to me, it felt like something much bigger than that.
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<div>I was proud of myself.
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<div>Because I knew exactly what it took to get there.
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<div>That car represented the hours I worked.
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<div>The sleep I sacrificed.
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<div>The money I saved.
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<div>The days I was exhausted but still showed up.
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<div>It represented all the times life had made things difficult and I had refused to give up.
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<div>That car gave me a feeling of independence that meant so much to me.
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<div>I finally felt like I had something I had worked for myself.
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<div>But life didn’t stop testing me.
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<div>The used car I worked so hard to get started breaking down on me too.
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<div>I tried to attend college again, but things started going downhill. The school where I worked also had problems, and it felt like everything was happening at the same time.
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<div>One setback became another.
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<div>And eventually, I found myself struggling again.
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<div>Right now, I only have one job, and financially, it isn’t enough to handle everything I’m facing.
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<div>Thankfully, some of my close friends have been there for me. They have helped me when they could, and I will always be grateful for those people.
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<div>But now I’m facing another problem that I cannot solve financially by myself.
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<div>My car needs repairs costing around $3,000.
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<div>I found someone who knows how to fix it, but I simply don’t have the money to pay for the repairs right now.
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<div>And honestly, admitting that is hard.
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<div>Because I know how hard I worked to get that car.
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<div>I know how many hours I worked.
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<div>I know how much sleep I sacrificed.
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<div>I know how many times I told myself to keep going when I was exhausted.
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<div>And now I’m in a position where I have to ask other people for help.
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<div>My car is not just a vehicle to me.
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<div>It represents independence.
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<div>It represents my ability to work.
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<div>It represents being able to get where I need to go.
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<div>It represents the goals I’ve been trying to reach for years.
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<div>I already know what it feels like to have transportation problems interfere with my education and opportunities.
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<div>I don’t want to go through that again.
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<div>I want to keep working.
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<div>I want to continue pursuing my goals.
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<div>I want to keep building the future I started working toward after high school.
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<div>That is why I’m asking for help.
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<div>I’m not asking anyone to feel sorry for me.
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<div>I’m not asking anyone to believe that my life has been perfect.
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<div>I’m simply asking for a chance to get back on my feet.
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<div>If you are able to donate $5, $10, $20, or any amount you can comfortably afford, I would be incredibly grateful.
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<div>Every contribution would help me get closer to my $3,000 goal and closer to getting my car back on the road.
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<div>And if you cannot donate, please share my story.
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<div>A share may seem small, but it could put my story in front of someone who is able to help.
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<div>I know I’m not famous.
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<div>I don’t have a huge following.
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<div>I’m just Evelyn.
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<div>I’m someone who has worked multiple jobs.
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<div>Someone who has sacrificed sleep.
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<div>Someone who has struggled.
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<div>Someone who has been disappointed.
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<div>Someone who has had to start over.
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<div>But I’m also someone who has kept going.
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<div>And that is what I’m trying to do now.
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<div>Keep going.
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<div>I’ve worked too hard to give up on myself.
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<div>I’ve sacrificed too much to stop believing in my future.
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<div>I’ve already overcome difficult moments before, and I believe I can get through this one too.
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<div>I just need some help getting there.
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<div>To everyone who has ever supported me, checked on me, encouraged me, helped me, prayed for me, shared my story, or simply taken the time to listen—thank you.
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<div>I don’t take any kindness for granted.
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<div>I’m sharing my story because I want people to understand that sometimes the person you see smiling and going to work is carrying things you know nothing about.
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<div>I may not have everything figured out.
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<div>I may not have everything I need right now.
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<div>But I still have goals.
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<div>I still have dreams.
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<div>And I still believe that my story can have better chapters ahead.
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<div>So I’m putting my pride aside and asking for help.
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<div>Not because I’ve stopped fighting.
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<div>But because I’m still fighting.
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<div>I’m still standing.
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<div>I’m still working.
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<div>I’m still trying.
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<div>And I’m still believing that this difficult moment does not have to be the end of my story.
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<div>Thank you for hearing me. Thank you for believing in me. And thank you for any kindness you can show me during this chapter of my life. ❤️
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Anonymous

Carina Carreon-Reyes

Sherly s

Jocelyn Keri Gessner

Evelyn Amaya

Sann29 Smith

Jane Knop

Tanisha Wells

Julie Boskey

Luis Vasquez

Simone Williams

Ally Seago

Shelly Guerra

Brianna Allen-smith

Sarah Gillette

Help Evelyn Get Back on the Road

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Help Evelyn Get Back on the Road

Just $799 to go!
Make an impact.