Hi everyone, my name is Yuriana Sobrino. Some of you know me as a drummer and percussionist. I am also the mom of a beautiful almost 7-year-old. More than 2 years ago, I was able to buy a home for me and my son. I worked really hard to be able to do that. I have done all types of jobs, from music to cleaning, teaching, door dashing, babysitting, etc. I do anything to be able to provide for my son. I am in no way in any unique situation. There are many single parents around the world that struggle with balancing work life and taking care of their children 24/7. I am my son’s only support system here in Grand Rapids. I have no family around, so when he gets sick or has no school, I need to be with him. I have found places that are somehow understanding of that, but a lot of jobs are not that flexible.

For almost a year, I have been working hard to try to catch up with everything. However, since November, everything came crashing. Bills started accumulating, and I have been trying to get out of the financial hole without any success. I finally found a job that would start at the end of January. I won’t be making a lot of money, but at least it is something. It is a job that would allow me to drop my son at school and pick him up. Right now, I am behind some months with my mortgage payment. Today, I had to make a payment and basically used all the money I had left in my account. I am extremely overwhelmed and exhausted from all the stress and worries. I feel I won’t be able to catch up on my own. I am scared I might lose my home and the security I have for my child. I feel embarrassed, to be honest, to do this, but I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t really need the help. I just want a little push so I can continue.

A little bit about my son Max: He is a brilliant child , he loves Math and science and it has a curious mind. He is loving and his emotional intelligence teaches me something new everyday. His dream is to be a scientist ❤️

Thank you for reading our story!

with love Yuriana and Max!