Hi, my name is Stacy, and I’m asking for help getting my family safely back home to PA after a move that didn’t turn out the way it was promised.
Like many working families, we were trying to do the responsible thing: follow work, secure stable income, and build a better future. Before relocating, I was promised a position paying an hourly wage that matched my experience and made the cost of moving and living here feasible.
Based on that promise, my family and I uprooted our lives and moved thousands of miles away from home. Once I arrived and started the job, the employer changed the terms: I was paid $15 less. Later, this was increased slightly, but it was still far below what was agreed upon.
The job posting I applied to clearly advertised the pay rate. After I started questioning the pay difference, the employer stated that he had never paid that rate, contradicting the job ad that brought me here.
When I asked how the remaining gap would be addressed, I was told that if I enrolled in an ISA certification, I would receive half the promised rate and the full promised rate once the certification was completed.
After I enrolled and started the course study, the employer denied making those promises. Despite my experience, work history, and following through on everything asked of me, the employer refused to honor what was promised.
My employer repeatedly misrepresented pay and denied prior agreements. Those actions directly caused the financial shortfall we are now facing.
In addition, the position offers no health insurance, no paid time off, no holiday pay, and no benefits of any kind, which left us without any safety net and medical bills. We are not eligible for employer-sponsored or medicaid here. Even minor setbacks became overwhelming without basic protections in place.
While living here, we’ve learned firsthand what local newspapers are reporting: Southern Utah has become unaffordable for working families. Housing costs have skyrocketed, wages have not kept up, and even so-called “starter homes” are out of reach. Many families are stuck renting, commuting long distances, or being forced to leave altogether. We are now one of those families.
Despite working hard and doing everything asked of me, the numbers simply don’t work here—especially after the income we relied on never materialized.
The denial of written and verbal wage promises and the contradictions between the job advertisement and what I was actually paid put us in an impossible position.
As a result, we have lost the truck that would bring us back home. Losing our vehicle leaves us effectively stranded.
The funds raised will be used specifically for:
Getting our truck, Gas and transportation costs to get back home, Relocation expenses and basic necessities during the transition
We have already secured jobs back home in PA. We are simply asking for help to cover the costs of getting our transportation back, making the trip home, and stabilizing our family so we can move forward.
Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for any support you are able to give.
— Stacy