Hi, my name is Joseph Leblanc. I’m 19 years old, in college, and recently moved from Vermont to Florida on my own. I work five nights a week while going to school three days a week, just trying to build a future for myself.

On December 13th, my truck was stolen from my apartment complex. In an instant, I lost more than just a vehicle. Inside that truck was a few hundred dollars in cash tips I had worked hard for over the previous three days, my school backpack with textbooks and supplies, my fishing gear, baseball equipment, clothes, and personal items. It was everything I relied on day to day.

I filed a police report the same day. Now it’s the New Year, and there has been no update. I’ve slowly come to the painful realization that I may never get it back.

I moved 24 hours away from my family in August for college. That truck was my independence. I worked all last winter, saving every dollar just to buy it. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was mine, and it got me where I needed to go. I didn’t have insurance at the time because someone was supposed to buy it the following Monday. The A/C didn’t work, and I planned to sell it so I could buy something more reliable for the Florida heat. Instead of upgrading, I lost everything.

Since then, getting to work and school has been a constant struggle. My girlfriend has been incredibly supportive and has been lending me her car, but our schedules don’t always line up. Because of that, we’ve both missed work, which makes paying rent even more stressful since we live on our own. Every day feels like I’m falling further behind, even though I’m doing everything I can.

I’m not someone who asks for help. Posting this is extremely hard and vulnerable for me, but I don’t know what else to do. I just want a reliable car that can get me from point A to point B so I can keep working, stay in school, and stop feeling like everything is slipping away.

Anything helps—whether it’s donating or simply sharing this. If you’ve read this far, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your kindness truly means more than you know.