Hi,

Many years ago, while my husband was terminally ill with cancer, our home was flooded by the bay. He was a builder, and his final wish was to save our family home before he died. He managed to lift it, but we got behind in our mortgage payments, damaging our credit. Those were stressful times physically, financially, and emotionally. After he passed, I completed our home repairs and paid off our mortgage, taxes, and credit cards. For the next 14 years, I managed by working a 50-hour week. In 2008, my employer reduced my hours, and I had no choice but to put our home up for sale. By then, I was 62, and I retired to move to Tennessee, leaving all I loved behind.

Since then, I bought a small home in Chattanooga and have managed to get by on my Social Security and a small Etsy store (Suncatcher Creations) doing stained glass, mainly Christmas tree toppers. I'm happy to work for all car repairs! This summer, my air-conditioning broke, my water pressure regulator broke, and my car died. I managed to make the home repairs but not the car repairs. My car is a 2004 manual transmission Honda with 162,000 miles. It needs a new clutch, master cylinder, slave cylinder, flywheel, knock sensor, rear brakes, and tires. I love my buggy and hope to have it until I get wings. The nearest store is 2.5 miles away, and at 76 years old, it's difficult to manage. I need a car. I've tried to get a loan, but with NO credit, not bad credit, I'm not eligible. Cutting up my credit cards 25 years ago wasn't such a good idea!

This is truly a lesson in humility and an embarrassment. I hate asking for help, but the expense is more than I can manage on my fixed income. I'm sorry and grateful for any help you can contribute.

Thank you,

Toni