<div>Hi, I'm Lori. I'm 61 and single for many years. I have 3 grown, independent daughters and 2 grandsons. These 5 humans are what I cherish most in my life. I have been independent since graduating college. I've always worked and supported myself from age 22 until about a year ago when a series of events combined to tear a huge hole in my sense of security and punch my usual optimism right in the face. I was "let go" from a job I had worked for 16 years, without warning or reason made aware to me. Even at 61, my positive outlook told me I would get a new job within a couple of months. I reasoned that my savings would carry me through. I've networked, revamped my resume, talked to former co-workers and supervisors, and have sent applications to about 100 potential employers with job openings posted on LinkedIn, CareerBuilder, and countless recruiters and agencies. Since January, I've landed only 4 actual interviews and received many "thanks but no thanks" emails, and no job offers.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>From November through February, I experienced 5 separate dislocations of my left hip, each requiring an ER admission, anesthesia, and a "closed reduction" procedure, which means the ER staff must manually manipulate the leg to "pop" the leg bone back into the porcelain implant I've had for about 13 years. I am uninsured and the medical bills started rolling in and kept on coming from 3 different hospitals, anesthesiologists, pathologists, radiologists, and medical equipment providers for which I had no ability to pay. I was also worried about it happening again, dreading more bills I couldn't pay. Paying rent and all my bills, just my car note and insurance cost me $1,000 a month, $1,200 for rent plus credit accounts. My savings were quickly depleted. To add a bit more to my predicament, the neuropathy affecting my hands and arms became debilitating, with constant numbness, electric "shock" sensations, tingling, and pain. I became depressed and felt hopeless, thinking about trying to work as a paralegal with the increasing discomfort I was feeling. After years of procrastination, I finally filed for disability with the SSA, submitting 20+ years of medical records, doctor reports, diagnostic records, and provided every piece of info requested. Eight months later, my application was denied.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>In the meantime, I had to move out of my apartment, put my belongings in storage, and move in with friends temporarily, then eventually moved to Beaumont to be closer to my daughters. I am still applying for jobs and getting rejected, and trying to earn money to keep my car note and insurance current by donating plasma twice a week and driving DoorDash. Even those efforts haven't been consistently successful due to low iron in my blood that has prevented me from donating even though I am focused on eating food high in iron and taking a supplement daily. Last month, my insurance was canceled because there was no money for the $425 premium payment. I haven't made a car payment since May because I haven't been able to pull together the $575 monthly payment. <strong>I now live with fear and anxiety that my car will be repossessed at any moment or I'll get in trouble for lack of insurance.</strong> I have received some help from the few family members I have, but my family isn't wealthy and I cannot ask for more help from them. I am in a predicament I never expected to be in at this stage in my life, and my options are severely limited. <strong>First and foremost, I must pay $1,500 on my car note or I will lose the one asset that is necessary for me to make a little money driving DoorDash.</strong> I must also replace the canceled insurance coverage as soon as humanly possible.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I have never been comfortable asking for help. But right now, I know I have to reach out for the help I need, and I know there are good people who can and will extend a helping hand if they can. I am terrified of becoming homeless in a society that views the homeless with contempt and scorn. If that happens, I will lose the hope and sense of optimism that have gotten me this far and have kept me moving forward in difficult times.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I am grateful for a donation of any amount from anyone who reads my story and has the desire to help me climb out of this predicament.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Thank you for taking the time to read my testimony, given honestly, with humility and a hopeful heart.
</div>

Gisele Rojo

Anonymous

Mary Gorrell

Tina Swallow

Lori's Journey: From Job Loss & Despair to Hope 4 the Future

platform

Platform is iOS

Android

Adyen Google Pay Development Audience

$opt_dummy_attribute

English only

Deprecate Stripe Legacy

dyn_template_ids

Adyen V6 Bene Transfer & MyMoney Campaign Organizers - test01

Bene transfer V6 and AdyenV6MyMoney Campaign Organizers - production

OneTrust next-app audience

fundCountryCode

NextDoor Share Option Users

Fundraisers with Reactions feature capability

fundCurrencyCode

US + Non-charity COs Only

locale

fund country is US and user language is English

personId

comms-internal-person-ids

Enhanced Story Experience Users

Suggested Goal Experience Users

user language is English and fund country: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

Poster share - new funds eligible (newest 9/18)

Streaming widgets beta user

paymentProcessor

3DS payment method

user language is English and fundCountry: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

GoFundMe Employees

ipAddress

Mark Rieth IP Address

Version 9.2.0 and above

Fund is in English speaking country

desktop

Android v12.11.0 and above

Platform is Android

paymentMethodType

checkoutType

Payment method type group to be vaulted on success

admin pr kit prod

EUR Donation Upsell

Share Text generation Skip Fundraiser

(prod) new funds eligible for amp12 (UGC gallery)

fintrac_cad_idv_form_v2 audience

paymentProcessorAccountId

fallback mode accounts

proCampaignId

p2p legacy startfundraising page

AMP24 New Funds Only PROD (DO NOT MODIFY)

countryCode

charityId

UKCharities

Federated Search Internal Testing

route.pathname community

US Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks Feature Audience

Supporter Comments Eligible Funds

International Only

fundId

braze fundraiser group 

Payment Identity Transfers ATO Risk Check (Targeted) - Production

Fundraiser Saved Payment Method Rate Limit Bypass (Production)

leaderboard-partner-id-audience-givepanel

Version 9.2.1 and above

AUD Donation Upsell audience

fundraiserCountryCode is US/EN

Active Fundraiser - Smart Default Cadence

DAF Internal

Vault on success card payment method

Platform is iOS v11.0.0 and above

Desktop users

Person ids

United States (US) users

allow yuno fundraisers for test

Mexico country code

Posters INTL

NPO Profile Opted-In

iOS at or above 12.4.0

non-US recurring donors

Canada Campaign Owner Group

Fundraiser Without Meta Link

Scheduler payment tester gorup

charityCommunityId

Charities allow to be claimed unclaimed (PRD)

Canada (CA) users

currencyCode

UC Tipping v20250115 International

pymk_production_xplr_fe_team

Android at or above 12.2.0

Profile photo entry point audience

smart goals (fundraiser/manage) on test01

Activity Tracking v1 Beta Testing

writePath

Stream Notification

start gfm intl allowed locales

Platform is iOS v11.2.0 and above

unclaimed charities

prod_ach_audience

AI Chatbot Audience

amp13 only new funds (prod) (anyword auto)

UC Flow Enabled (Prod)

Payment Identity Beneficiary Verification - Production

shared notification bell audience

Custom users

ach frontend audience

Android v11.0.0 and above

Users Receiving Payments Paused Notifications

smart goals test01

Manage Coach - US English Organizers Only + new funds only

Team EGG - IP Address list

Fundraiser Without Instagram Deep Link

Native 11.4.0 and above

UC Tipping v20250107

Users Receiving Braze KYC Validation Failed

Native 11.3.0 and above

Influencer - Prod

US fundraisers and US users

ai_title_page

anyword

openai

control

manual_entry

userEmail

template_id

userId

fundUrl

isCharityCo

email

appVersion

shouldBucketIntoExperiment

partnerId

donationCadence

isActiveFundraiser

isPartner

isMobile

npoProfileOptIn

fundIsLinkedWithMeta

hasSessionDonation

isCampaignOwner

fundHasInstagramDeepLink

Native 11.4.0 and higher

New funds eligible - Video Sharing (PROD)

GB Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks V3 Rollout Audience

Thank you V3 testing whitelist

isRecurringFriendly

Is Recurring Friendly

Excluded funds - Video Sharing

Logged In Users

CH Donation Upsell audience

Android v10.6.0 and above

userCurrencyCode

Localized Currency

v11.5.0 and above

testAudience

pathname

Survicate

appVersion is at or above 12.8.0

Non-charity fund

isChallengeFundraiser

challenge-fundraisers

Payment Identity Launch Verification - Production

New funds eligible - Posters v2

CAD Donation Upsell Audience

Braze Email Tester

NPO Profile Opted-Out

iOS App Version

hasKnownDonors

PYMK has donors

iOS v12.3.0 and above

Just $500$ to go! Make an impact.

Lori's Journey: From Job Loss & Despair to Hope 4 the Future

Just $500 to go!
Make an impact.