Yesterday, News Center Maine ran a story about Jackie Hart, an 84-year-old woman from Maine who took a job as a motel housekeeper during this pandemic in order to financially survive.


As you can see from the video (and the full report here), Jackie is an inspiring person with incredible fortitude and grit. But as you might expect, most people don't agree that this story is a "pick-me-up."

No one Jackie's age should have to come out of retirement because Social Security doesn't cover her expenses—let alone during a pandemic where she's at risk. It should not be necessary to set up a GoFundMe page, but because a person can work their whole life, and only be eligible for under $900 in benefits, here we are.

We're hoping to turn this into a truly uplifting story by raising money so Jackie has the freedom to stay safe during this pandemic and enjoy the retirement she deserves.

We have no connection to Jackie. We're just people who saw the story and felt moved to help. But Keith Carson from News Center Maine has promised to amplify any GoFundMe  set up for Jackie and make the necessary connections.

We are taking him up on his offer.

We've reached out to both Keith and the story's reporter, Chloe Teboe (here is a link to her Tweet promoting it). We will provide updates as soon as we hear back.

In the meantime, let's show everyone the actual meaning of a pick-me-up story by raising enough money for Jackie to enjoy the retirement she justly deserves.