Jeff Reinhardt and family in need of help

Jeff Reinhardt and Family

Jeff lost his job of four years on January 10, 2025. The loss was sudden and unexpected. He was told that he had fallen behind on work during the holidays. In reality, most of his co-workers were behind as well, since this is considered a busy season. He did catch up and continued to work during 2 vacation days, but this did not factor into his boss’s decision. He had been working diligently at home despite having a broken foot, broken arm, and fractured skull from a freak accident on January 1 in which his German Shepherd dog pulled him from the porch down on the sidewalk. These injuries required several days of hospitalization. This first week of recovery was the roughest, but he opted to continue working and had a productive week despite a great deal of pain and discomfort. It was a complete surprise when he got invited into a conference call with his boss and the HR manager to receive the news that he was fired.

His boss went on to say that they had decided to redefine his role in the company, and there was no opportunity to discuss or contest the decision. The company had already hired someone from California before releasing Jeff. Jeff’s access and benefits were cut off immediately. There was no severance awarded. He is currently in the process of getting Medicaid approval and filing for unemployment benefits. It is unclear if he will get unemployment benefits, due to the circumstances and the requirement that his former employer must approve them. It is important to note that Jeff has worked 33 years in the Graphic Arts/Web Development business and has never been fired before. Anytime he left a job, it was due to a layoff due to a lack of business or a corporate takeover of the company he was working for. He always received good ratings on his work, and he was well-liked by management and co-workers alike.

Jeff lives with his wife, Angela, and son, Ringo. Angela doesn’t work. She has undiagnosed psychological issues. They have been awaiting an appointment with a doctor to get her back into the system so that help can be found for her. It is very difficult because of her fear of doctors, medication, and treatments. Ringo is 19 and has a job working construction, but the hours are low due to weather or other worksite conditions.

The last year has been very tough, but it goes back to a time just before COVID when he was last unemployed, due to a corporate takeover of the business he was working for. Jeff's family has been in a tailspin financially since then. They had to spend through their reserves and accrued more debt to survive several disasters. In this past year, they had several expensive car repairs. One of the cars was repaired several times and then had to be ‘scrapped’ after learning that a certain critical part couldn’t be found. They then had to buy a car to replace it. They weren’t prepared for this. Moreover, Jeff has a medical condition that has required numerous operations, not covered by insurance, which has plunged the family into deep indebtedness.

Currently, there are enough resources to get through a few months, but beyond that, they are faced with some hard decisions. Unless a new work opportunity comes through, they will need to sell their house. This comes with a lot of emotionally and physically exhausting tasks - cleaning out the house, liquidating possessions, deciding what to do with 2 cats and a dog, and figuring out where to go next.

Jeff is trying hard to find work in his field – Graphic Design/Web Development – but so far isn’t having much luck. He is also considering his options and casting a wide net. He is looking into getting his CDL license to drive a truck but is having trouble procuring funding and must wait until his injuries heal to take the course. Truck driving isn’t ideal as it involves long hours and weeks on the road, but it may be necessary to protect his family, since the starting pay can be higher than many other entry-level jobs.

Keep the Reinhardt's in your thoughts and prayers as they navigate this unusually challenging time. And please give as you are felt led to do so. This is truly a family in need of temporary help to get back on their feet, but Jeff is not waiting for someone to rescue him; he is working diligently and taking every step necessary to overcome this huge obstacle in his life.

The author of this Go Fund Me request is Doug Reinhardt, brother of Jeff Reinhardt.