UPDATE: 10/6/25
Jamie has officially been terminated from her job. This was not unexpected. But still, it has been a struggle to keep depressing feelings at bay for us both. Jamie loved working in Housatonic and Great Barrington at the libraries. Yet, she didn’t have a chance to bid farewell to the community or staff. There’s also a significant amount of uncertainty as we attempt to move forward.
Meanwhile, despite Dani’s attempts, few people from her life have reached out. Those who have, we thank you and we love you so much. It really does mean the world. The silence of some folks is disheartening, though. Jamie can’t help but think of her own mother, no longer with us, who would drop everything to help her loved ones. Assisting us financially is entirely optional. But being detached in our time of need feels cruel.
All that said, thank you to EVERYONE who has shared our post and/or donated. We could not have made it this far without you. We’ve kept our car from getting repossessed, paid bills, and bought groceries. Solving our transportation issue and finding gainful employment for Jamie are still in progress! And we still need help to get there. But we’re not giving up.
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Our names are Jamie and Dani. We are a married couple of 7 years living in Northwest Connecticut. Jamie is a librarian with an emphasis in technology. She has aspirations of being an author someday. Dani is a multi-talented creative who specializes in writing poetry, palm-reading, and upcycled works like decoupage and button flower bouquets. She's also trying to get a start in stand-up comedy.
As much love as we share, and as big as our dreams are, life has thrown us many curveballs. Jamie is a trans woman, and while she has been blessed with a supportive wife, she still struggles with many of the day-to-day stresses of being visibly out. Dani is disabled, with diagnoses of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Post-Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, and Autism, among others that doctors are still working to determine. Neither of us have substantial support from our families, and we've been largely unable to build much of a support network in our local community.
The price of life in America, especially living in a place that is accepting of queer and disabled people, is steep. For a few years, Jamie has managed to barely support herself and her wife while working multiple jobs. Meanwhile, Dani is unable to maintain a consistent flow of income due to her chronic conditions. However, pinching pennies only works so long as there are no emergencies to contend with. We've faced eviction, dead cars, surprise medical bills, and other challenges that have stretched our resources thin and have forced us to accrue a significant amount of debt.
Three weeks ago, our car's engine died. The car is far from paid off, and the repair cost is considerable. Jamie has a long commute of 30 miles one way, 5 days a week, across state lines, and between two remote towns that have very few commuters in between. Despite her best efforts, she has been unable to find a way to reasonably travel back and forth to and from work without a car. We've been forced to miss several doctor's appointments for Dani. And because of how remote we are, getting groceries and supplies has also been incredibly difficult. We've attempted to apply for loans to help us purchase a beater car that could get us on our feet, even if for only a little while. But, due to our debt, we've been denied.
We're out of options. If Jamie can't get to work, she is facing a possible expulsion which would be catastrophic. We need help. We're good people, just trying to survive. Anything at all is of huge help. Even if you can't donate, share this with others. They say it takes a village...
Thank you and be well,
Jamie and Dani
UPDATE:
In an effort to better highlight our financial status, here are the details on our current needs.
Debts:
- Rent: $1340 (have not paid September)
- Car: $440 (have not paid August or September. Unfortunately, even though it is currently not operational, we still owe $15,000 on the loan)
- Electric: $120 (have not paid August)
- Taxes: $700 (if these are not paid off, I will not be able to register a new car)
- There are other bills as well but they are currently paid up. Our average monthly cost of living is approximately $4,600 (this is based on our total expenditures in 2025 between January and July). But without having a car, I am likely to lose my current job. So it might entirely be possible that I will be unable to pay for any of these things until I can find gainful employment. On top of that, we were barely scraping by as it was. Our average deposits are approximately $4,500 (this is similarly based on our total deposits for the same time frame), meaning we've been functioning on a deficit for some time.
And then there's the transportation issue. There's two different options. One would be a new car:
- New car: $1,000 - $3,000 (this would hopefully be enough to get something older that I could put minimal effort into and would work until we can find something more long-term. We don't have anything lined up at the moment. This estimate is based on what I've found nearby.)
- Repairs: $500 - $2,000 (this could be anything from a battery to brakes or multiple things)
- Registration: $130
Or we could attempt to repair the old car. I have been told that this is riskier, as there is no guarantee how well the car will function even with the new engine.
- New engine: $2,000 - $3,000 (this estimate was given to us by two different mechanics. But we need to find one.)
- Cost of repair: $1,000+
And that covers it!
On a positive side, I had a fantastic interview on 9/25/25 for a really good job. Obviously there's no guarantee I will get it. But we're doing our best here!
Organizer
