Recovering from a Series of Unfortunate Events
Donation protected
Hello everyone! James and I (Kerry) have been struck by a Series of Unfortunate Events over the last 2 years. We refrained from asking for help because honestly, we could manage... up until now.
2021 was amazing for us, and in November, culminated in us buying our first home together. Yeah, there were some problems on move-in, but, the future of 2022 looked bright. So bright, in fact, we officially got engaged in February 2022 after nearly 9 years of dating and started planning our wedding. Our savings were low from our down payment, but, we were both in decent jobs (especially mine). We created a savings plan to both get comfortable and to start to put things away for our dream wedding. I was laid off from my role at a small eCommerce consulting firm in May of 2022 after the firm went into receivership, but managed to secure employment just 3 days later contracting with Microsoft through a 3P.
And then, my Dad, Keith, passed away 3 weeks into my new role in June 2022. While my family did what they could to help, we bared the majority of the costs that suddenly popped up.
But, it was okay. We had decent jobs. It didn't matter that I was suffering from Long COVID, or that I was working with police after my purse was stolen in Bremerton, WA; or that I was (and still am) working with police in Bakersfield, CA after burglars ransacked Keith's home and stole his car after he passed. With therapy, I could manage my grief. So... I virtually hospitalized myself. After all, I was losing my vision from stress, too.
After all that was said and done, we spent $14,000- most of which was put on lines of credit and drained what savings we could accumulate from the time we closed on our home. This amount takes into account last-minute hotel, airfare, and rental car expenses; as well as end-of-life expenses, therapy, and my Dad's space rent for his mobile home while I attempted to sell it, among a few other miscellaneous costs (gas, food...). My grandmother had gifted us her car as a housewarming present, and on the way to my Dad's funeral, the car's transmission gave out 6 hours into a 17-hour drive nearly in the middle of nowhere.
In November 2022, my identity was stolen. This added a stretch of time of stress and panic as accounts were frozen and I had to work with local and federal agencies to stop blackmail and harassment. I opted to extend my therapy program. Bills went unpaid while we accumulated late fees from not being able to access my accounts.
When James was laid off in January 2023, we decided to pause saving for the wedding. My job was enough to make ends meet, albeit barely. He was going to get a severance from Amazon that could help. My father's mobile home did not sell, and so, I had to make the choice to cut my losses and walk away. I couldn't sustain us and that space rent while we had it on the market.
And then one February 2023 afternoon, the water company came by to tell us we clearly had a broken pipe somewhere that had happened at some point in the last 2 months, and our water bill was just shy of $9,000. Our homeowner's insurance could cover the costs of repairing the pipe and a leak-finder, but, they would not cover the costs of the loss of utility. We negotiated down the water bill and used all of James' Amazon severance to cover it; spending about $6,000. The leak was from a tree root that had pierced the pipe about 5 feet beneath our driveway. Even the leak-finder was off in finding it.
And then June 30th, 2023... I got notice that I was also getting laid off. Both of us were officially victims of the tech layoffs that have claimed nearly 230,000 people (Source: TechCrunch). I did not receive a severance, and instead, received my unused PTO paid out.
There's even more that happened in 2021-2023, and 2023 isn't over yet- but, this is just what's given us the major financial hardship. We are feeling incredibly unlucky, tired, and frankly...scared.
After 7 months of being laid off, James was able to secure part-time work at a local grocery store which will cover our basic utilities and groceries while he continues to look for something better. I'm still looking for my next role. I've had several promising rounds of interviews, many applications, and also... quite a few rejections. With the help of a very generous friend, we were able to make August mortgage, which bought us enough time for my unemployment benefits to kick in in September. We also brought in a roommate to help split the costs.
As it stands, we're going to struggle to make January mortgage if we don't step into new roles before the end of my unemployment benefits. We're looking into mortgage forbearance, and I have placed my student loans on deferment.
If you're able to help today, we really appreciate it. All funds here are going to be used for our basic needs (mortgage, food, utilities). Additionally, and optimally, we're looking for work! Check out our LinkedIns or reach out for opportunities for updated resumes.
I am a Project Manager / Producer with 6 years of experience across Games, Entertainment, and eCommerce. I'm looking for roles that are remoteable for WA State, in-office or hybrid in the Greater Seattle or Portland areas, or "super commuter" to other major cities. We are open to relocation conversations, and I am willing to travel in my role up to 75%. I've previously been employed by Amazon, Microsoft (through a 3P), and small start-ups. I volunteer my time with a 501c3 charity, Games For Love. I'm a Women in Games Ambassador through WIGJ.
James has experience as a QA Tester. His previous role was as a Data Analyst for Amazon on the Alexa team. He's also previously been employed by Microsoft through a 3P as a Game and Hardware Tester. He's looking for the same locations as me.
Does all of this sound like a lot? Unbelievable? We think so too. Still, we have receipts and can provide proof. It's been an incredible burden to bear by ourselves, and we've done so well. But, now is the time we really need to ask for help.
Thank you so much for your time, consideration, help, leads- all of it!
Organizer
Kerry Saltvick
Organizer
Bremerton, WA
