My name is Laura.  In 2008 I left the corporate rat-race and proudly started my own business! I have been working hard to keep my business a going for several years now. It’s a business that I believe in and it has a positive impact on our ecology and environment. The largest challenge over the last several years, was how to continue doing this business, which required much travelling, after I met someone and fell in love with that one special person.

Individuals close to me know life has recently handed me even more challenges. The reality was I had not been working since April when the contract I had been winning locally for the last three years, was awarded to another company.  It was that local job that enabled to me stay close to my man and continue to feed my animals, some of which are part of my business model, when to my horror I got that phone call no one wants to take.  Just before Christmas, I went from a two-person house hold to a one-person house hold overnight when the love of my life went missing. Shortly after reporting it, I got the phone call that my best friend had been killed in a car accident the previous evening on his way to our home. I was devastated by the news. Before losing our family bread-winner we had plenty of mouths to feed, and now with my recent loss I have more animals (mostly birds and dogs) I am responsible for with the added responsibility of the animals in his crew.  A burden which we used to share. I am in the process of downsizing but that takes time to find appropriate homes, meanwhile, I am still responsible for their care, feeding and health needs.

Caring for the animals will be only a small portion of the challenges that this coming new year will bring as I try to find the strength and courage to continue in the face of much adversity and loneliness.  I am making changes as fast as I can while trying to mourn my loss, make decisions I have never had to confront, and still try to remember just to stop and eat. I also need time to heal, while continuing to make arrangements for the services and interment. This has been the hardest month I have ever had to face.

The money I am asking for is the minimum cost of feeding the majority of the animals for a year, should it take me that long to find them suitable placement. If it perhaps also helps me keep the phone and the lights on long enough to complete a job search, that would be great and wonderful. I would love to be able to say I could pay you back, but I am not able to do so at this time.  With that in mind, if you can donate to help, please do. The critters and I thank you very much for helping.  I cannot fully express how grateful I would be for your assistance but it will mean the world to me.