My name is Melinda. I live in Colorado Springs, and I am asking for help with finances. It takes a lot for me to make a post like this, but right now, I’m only working twice a week and not making enough to even get by. I had to quit my previous job because they weren’t able to work with my school schedule, and that was one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make.

I have been diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), making it increasingly difficult to find middle ground when it comes to my emotions, and sometimes it’s hard to even make it out of bed to go to class, work, take care of myself etc.. This doesn’t make me weak, and I’m choosing not to settle for it. I’m in therapy to get help with my mental health, and I’ve been integrating more structure into my life to make everything more manageable. The government shutdown added a whole other layer of stress when it comes to finances, though. I was stressed about not having enough food to last through the months and not being able to fully enjoy the upcoming holidays.

My car has been repossessed lately, and I have 10 days to come up with at least $1,000 for it. I’m also behind on tuition, rent, and medical bills. I had money saved, but that money went towards a portion of tuition and the auto shop for my car, since it had a rare problem that left the car un-drivable at times. These financial stressors have contributed to burnout and a severe decline in my mental and physical health. This bit of help will be much appreciated to help get my car back and pay off as many of those debts/bills as I can. This money WILL NOT be used for food, clothing or miscellaneous items; it will only go towards my car, bills, and debts. In the meantime, I will continue to work on taking care of myself and job hunting. I want to be there for my friends, I want to be able to make my grandparents proud, and I want to support my dog in any way that I can!