Annie and Kayleigh -- mother and daughter, Amazon and "Pocket Amazon", Mimi and Mom to Pumpkin, the prettiest cat in the world (tm), and best friends -- need some help.

Poverty and financial stress are nothing new to us, but as the pandemic spread around the globe, we actually found ourselves doing fairly well. Annie, a freelance writer and editor, had found a substantial amount of ongoing work with one client, supplemented now and then by recurring work from others. Kayleigh was making her way up the retail ranks and thinking ahead to what might be next.

Then the economy and the explosion of AI ravaged the freelance writer industry. Overnight, Annie's big client was gone, decimated by a substantial reduction in both full-time employees and long-term freelancers (like Annie). Her income plummeted to a few hundred a month. Kayleigh was hit by a car as she made her way through the crosswalk and lost first work hours, then a job. She finally got a part-time job after months of applications, but it's only five to ten hours a week.

As things stand, we won't make it without some help, and we need it fairly soon. Our rent is $700 a month, we have transportation costs (since we don't have a car right now), and we also have a few long-put-off necessary purchases that will total around $400. We've set our initial goal to account for these and the unexpected crises that always seem to pop up when you least expect them.

We are painfully aware that more people are finding themselves in our position as 2025 marches relentlessly onward. We're hoping that if lots of people give a little, then no one else will find themselves in our shoes and giving will be easier. Many hands make light work, and all that.

Thank you for reading and considering helping out. We're both so grateful.

Annie + Kayleigh

PLEASE NOTE: We are aware the beneficiary is listed as Michael Ferra. Unfortunately, GFM doesn't let funds be deposited into anything other than a traditional bank account, which we don't have, so Mike, who is a trusted friend, is helping us out by collecting and managing the funds for us (thanks Mike!). Annie and Kayleigh will be the ultimate recipients.