Our story begins with me being unable to gain ANY employment in 5 months! In 23 years in this town i have never had such a hard time, and I have applied for even the jobs for which I am overqualified. The last time I checked I had about 100 applications out there. I have had about a half dozen interviews that all ended with me being ghosted. I have an Associates degree and plenty of experience!

At my home are my 18 year old daughter who just graduated high school and has a part-time job; my 5 year old son who will hopefully start kindergarten in the fall; 2 big rescue dogs and 2 rescue cats. We have all been surviving on the little support we receive every month and some help from other friends and neighbors. Needless to say, the "downward poverty spiral" is in full swing.

As of right now we owe our landlord $4700, and he has not yet kicked us out. He did ask us when we were moving out, but I told him I wasn't planning on moving out... especially now that I don't have a vehicle.

A few weeks ago our electricity was shut off with an over $1200 bill to be paid. We live on the second floor of a hundred year old house, so 5 days with no AC in the 95+ degree weather was one of the hardest things we have been through. I had to sell my car so that we could get the power back on.

With the money I got for my car I was able to pay the minimum of to get the power back on, but now our bill will be +60 every month for a year. I was also able to buy a new phone. For months, I had been using an internet phone while borrowing our neighbor'

internet... not a good connection.

Our gas was already turned off a while back, but since our water is included in our rent, it is separate from our gas, and we still have hot water.

So, this brings us to now. I have been recruited by First Student to obtain my CDL and become a school bus driver! I already finished the classes that prepped me for my CLP (commercial learners permit) and will take that exam next week! Once I pass that I will officially be hired and go through the medical examination and background check! I am on my way, and I will not give up, but we are still really struggling in the mean time, and I still have an anxious landlord on my back.

The main reason I became unemployed is because... well, I had a pretty good job at the Country Club as a cook. I was able to get hired at a much higher-paying job with more hours and benefits, so I put my 2 weeks in. I completed one day of training, and the next scheduled day of training we were all sick with "covid" again for a week, trips to the ER, not good, so I missed one day of training. The next scheduled day of training my child care that I had set up couldn't watch him the whole time, so I had to call out again, and they rescinded their offer. Then, I was hired at a University as a cook! Another higher-paying job with benefits, and they rescinded their offer, also, after I wasn't able to obtain my birth certificate in time... I had no money to purchase one, and they wouldn't wait any longer. Since then I have been interviewed and ghosted by a doughnut shop, a liquor store, McDonald's, and Jimmy John's! McDonald's just let me sit 45 minutes in their lobby for scheduled interview. She knew I was there waiting and never came out, so I left.

I am extremely committed to obtaining my CDL and being a school bus driver. It will be the perfect position for my family and I. I just need help during these next couple months before I start receiving regular paychecks, and I need to pay my landlord so that we can be caught up to enjoy our new lives once I start working. I haven't been able to buy my asthma meds that I need every single day. I also need help obtaining a vehicle to be able to drive to my new job.