<div>Drowning doesn't look like drowning. We imagine people flailing and desperately calling out, but the reality is most people who are drowning quietly slip underwater before anyone notices.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>For months, I've been silently drowning since losing my job in February. Today, I'm using the last of my strength to cry for help.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>My Journey</strong>
</div>
<div>In 2015, I left an abusive marriage and moved to the Pacific Northwest with $2,800 and a van full of belongings for me and my two adult kids. (<a href="https://medium.com/middle-pause/two-thousand-dollars-and-a-dream-lead-me-to-homeownership-2ff0e053b0ac" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">My story</a>.) Through grit and determination, I progressed from a $17/hour job to earning enough to buy a home.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I thought I'd finally achieved security after years of financial instability. Even though my savings were small and I didn't have nearly enough to retire, I thought I'd somehow be okay.
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/83069009_1727546388547671_r.jpeg" width="100%" />
<div><em>Me (left) and the kid, finally happy in the Pacific Northwest.</em>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>The Unexpected Setback</strong>
</div>
<div>In February, my entire team was laid off. Despite an extensive job search and lowering my expectations, I've struggled to find work. The job market has changed, especially for someone like me:
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<ul>
<li>58 years old
</li>
<li>Female
</li>
<li>Career in writing and marketing communications (heavily impacted by AI)
</li>
</ul>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong><em>People 50 or older are the fastest-growing demographic experiencing homelessness in America. Those numbers are estimated to triple by 2030!</em></strong> (<a href="https://aisp.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Emerging-Crisis-of-Aged-Homelessness-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Source</a>)
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I have sent hundreds of applications and had only a handful of interviews, including one where I was told I would be hired only to receive a notice that the state agency was "putting a pause on hiring." I have done gig work (DoorDash) and struggled to make more than $15 an hour, all while being pulled away from doing meaningful work to find employment. I've applied for roles that are far more entry-level than my skillset, only to get rejected because the employer knows I'll leave when a higher-paying job comes along.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I wake up most mornings with a knot of panic in my chest, wishing I hadn't woken up at all. 
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Current Situation</strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<ul>
<li>Filing for bankruptcy
</li>
<li>Struggling to keep my home and car
</li>
<li>Supporting my adult daughter who only has part-time minimum-wage work
</li>
<li>Networking broadly and trying to find <em>any</em> work, including freelance.
</li>
</ul>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>How You Can Help</strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Your support will help me:
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<ul>
<li>Avoid homelessness by keeping my home for two more months ($4,400)
</li>
<li>Maintain transportation for job searching and potential work for one month ($600)
</li>
<li>Cover basic living expenses and other essentials to help me rebuild my career ($5000)
</li>
</ul>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Any contribution, no matter how small, will make a difference.<strong> I am humbled</strong> by any support you can show me.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>The Power of Community</strong>
</div>
<div>In times of crisis, our friends and community become our lifeline. We're all part of a larger network, lifting each other when one of us is flailing.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Your support isn't just about financial assistance—it's about reminding me that I'm not alone in this struggle.</strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>By reaching out to help, you're reinforcing the beautiful truth that we're all connected. When we support each other, we create a safety net that catches those who fall and gives them the strength to rise again. Your kindness today could be the very thing that helps me regain my footing and, in turn, be there for someone else in the future.
</div>

Anonymous

Cindy Wolbert

Callie Wilson

Emily Taylor

Jian Gong

Craig Wallace

Karen Konrad

elizabeth eberle

Michael Aremu

Sharon Maurmann

Mary Wharton

Roxane Waldron

KAREN KIEVIT

Heather Sheley

Help Karen Rebuild & Grow a Business After Job Loss

platform

Platform is iOS

Android

Adyen Google Pay Development Audience

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English only

Deprecate Stripe Legacy

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Adyen V6 Bene Transfer & MyMoney Campaign Organizers - test01

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OneTrust next-app audience

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NextDoor Share Option Users

Fundraisers with Reactions feature capability

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US + Non-charity COs Only

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fund country is US and user language is English

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Streaming widgets beta user

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3DS payment method

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Money Box Donation List Prompt Experiment Audience

GoFundMe Employees

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Mark Rieth IP Address

Version 9.2.0 and above

Fund is in English speaking country

desktop

Android v12.11.0 and above

Platform is Android

paymentMethodType

checkoutType

Payment method type group to be vaulted on success

admin pr kit prod

EUR Donation Upsell

Share Text generation Skip Fundraiser

(prod) new funds eligible for amp12 (UGC gallery)

fintrac_cad_idv_form_v2 audience

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fallback mode accounts

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AMP24 New Funds Only PROD (DO NOT MODIFY)

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UKCharities

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route.pathname community

US Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks Feature Audience

Supporter Comments Eligible Funds

International Only

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braze fundraiser group 

Payment Identity Transfers ATO Risk Check (Targeted) - Production

Fundraiser Saved Payment Method Rate Limit Bypass (Production)

leaderboard-partner-id-audience-givepanel

Version 9.2.1 and above

AUD Donation Upsell audience

fundraiserCountryCode is US/EN

Active Fundraiser - Smart Default Cadence

DAF Internal

Vault on success card payment method

Platform is iOS v11.0.0 and above

Desktop users

Person ids

United States (US) users

allow yuno fundraisers for test

Mexico country code

Posters INTL

NPO Profile Opted-In

iOS at or above 12.4.0

non-US recurring donors

Canada Campaign Owner Group

Fundraiser Without Meta Link

Scheduler payment tester gorup

charityCommunityId

Charities allow to be claimed unclaimed (PRD)

Canada (CA) users

UC Tipping v20250115 International

pymk_production_xplr_fe_team

Android at or above 12.2.0

Profile photo entry point audience

smart goals (fundraiser/manage) on test01

Activity Tracking v1 Beta Testing

start gfm intl allowed locales

Platform is iOS v11.2.0 and above

NPO upsell education category

unclaimed charities

prod_ach_audience

AI Chatbot Audience

amp13 only new funds (prod) (anyword auto)

UC Flow Enabled (Prod)

Payment Identity Beneficiary Verification - Production

shared notification bell audience

Custom users

ach frontend audience

Android v11.0.0 and above

Users Receiving Payments Paused Notifications

smart goals test01

Manage Coach - US English Organizers Only + new funds only

Team EGG - IP Address list

NPO recommendations prod

Fundraiser Without Instagram Deep Link

Native 11.4.0 and above

UC Tipping v20250107

Users Receiving Braze KYC Validation Failed

ai_title_page

anyword

openai

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Native 11.3.0 and above

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GB Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks V3 Rollout Audience

Thank you V3 testing whitelist

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Is Recurring Friendly

Excluded funds - Video Sharing

NPO upsell animals category

NPO upsell disaster relief category

Logged In Users

CH Donation Upsell audience

Android v10.6.0 and above

NPO upsell essential needs category

NPO upsell medical category

userCurrencyCode

Localized Currency

NPO upsell cancer category

v11.5.0 and above

testAudience

pathname

Survicate

appVersion is at or above 12.8.0

Non-charity fund

isChallengeFundraiser

challenge-fundraisers

Payment Identity Launch Verification - Production

New funds eligible - Posters v2

CAD Donation Upsell Audience

Braze Email Tester

NPO Profile Opted-Out

iOS App Version

hasKnownDonors

PYMK has donors

iOS v12.3.0 and above

Help Karen Rebuild & Grow a Business After Job Loss

Still $4,466 to go. Help us build momentum.