Hello Everyone,

My name is Rene and this past June I graduated from the University of Oregon with my Master's degree. For the past several months post-graduation I have been applying for jobs all over the country and last time I checked I had applied to over 300 jobs and still I couldn't catch any breaks. Fortunately, this week I was offered a full-time position at the University of Southern California as a research coordinator. My work will be focused around aiding low-income Latino youth and Adults around Los Angeles to overcome health disparities.

For the past several years since I have been in Grad school, I have been without a car in order to cut down on expenses and relying solely on public transportation, but now my job would require that I have a car in order to travel to different neighborhoods around Los Angeles. I have been out of work since August and money has been really tight. My family has been very supportive of me and my career goals but since I have been out of work my bills have been racking up and are now posing a serious problem for me and I cannot afford to put a down payment on a car.

I am asking for help to put a down payment on a car. This is my biggest barrier to starting my academic career and getting my life back on track. I would be immensely grateful for any help you could provide me during this time.

Thank you,
Rene Maldonado