Help me keep helping kitties in Clark County!

Full time cat rescuer in desperate need of help with car repairs!

2024 has been a hard year, for a lot of reasons. It's often been dispiriting, demoralizing, and honestly just depressing. But one step in front of the other- I do cat rescue and TNR trapping, and my passion for rescue is a driving force in my life every day. There at least I know I'm making a difference, no matter what craziness is happening in the world. Every year I help literally hundreds of cats, from all over Clark County, in Washington State (and sometimes just outside of it- recent rescue locations include far northeast Portland in one direction and Kalama in the other). There have been good things this year too- many of them the happy kitties living their best lives because I was able to be there to save them.

I am the only full time TNR (trap, neuter, return) trapper/rescuer covering all of Clark County, and I DRIVE. My vehicle is a 2012 Ford Explorer, and in the 3.5 years I've owned it I've put almost exactly 100,000 miles on it, primarily for trapping and rescue. I don't go out of town. I don't drive to Seattle, or take trips to California. I set traps, pick up cats and do clinic runs. Both cat rescues in my county send all of their trapping referrals to me, so I DRIVE- and the results are pretty rough. In the last 2.5 years my car has needed almost $15,000 in repairs. This includes a replacement of the entire power steering system, the ENTIRE fuel injection system, including a new gas tank and catalytic converter (two of these actually, as the first one failed under warranty), and two new sets of tires.

Well now catastrophe is imminent. Over the weekend my vehicle started making a terrible grinding/chains dragging on pavement type of noise, and stuttering upon braking and acceleration. My brother thinks it's likely the transmission and/or AWD differential (whatever that is), and I have a diagnostic appointment scheduled for Friday. I cannot afford this. Any of it. I have no way to afford it- no credit card I can use, line of credit I can tap, etc. I am about to be dead in the water- with so many upcoming scheduled projects and requests for help I am desperate. I need help- if my car does not function, there is no one in this county to take my place, and no help for so many kitties. Please if anyone is able to help at all, I would be beyond grateful. Please share as well- most people do not realize how few rescue resources are available in most places, let alone how 'the system' literally relies on a handful of individuals in each community, who fund everything out of our own pockets/ donations.