My name is Ruben, and I am Crystal’s father.

I’m writing this because my daughter — and her babies, my grandkids — are in a moment where immediate help is needed to keep them safe and stable.

Crystal is a U.S. combat veteran who served her country with honor. She is also a mother of four — with three of her kids still living at home — and while she is actively battling multiple chronic health conditions, she has never stopped doing everything in her power to provide and protect.

⸻

Why I’m asking for help

The electricity for Crystal and the kids has been shut off through TRICO.

The total confirmed balance is now just over $5,400.

Mental illness and addiction are real — and no family is immune to it. You never think it will reach your home until it does. This is not about failure — it is about survival and courage in the face of something that has taken down far too many good people. Crystal has kept fighting — and I have watched her do it with everything she has.

In order to secure and keep housing for my grandkids, Crystal had to assume full responsibility for shared utility accounts — accounts originally tied to three households that she and Sam had either occupied or rented out. Although both names remain on several of the bills, Crystal has been the one carrying the full financial burden so the children would not lose their home.

⸻

What this fundraiser will support

• $5200 needed immediately to restore electricity for Crystal and her babies

• Groceries and essentials lost during the shut-off - they lost all freezer and fridge food

• Seasonal Clothing, vehicle repairs, and basic living needs for my grandkids

• Legal costs required to secure and protect their housing long-term

Total fundraiser goal: $7,500

This will cover the TRICO balance, household recovery, and urgent legal protection for Crystal and the kids.

⸻

Crystal and Sam are currently living separately as they each work through their own healing and responsibilities. Crystal is fully maintaining the household where the children live — physically, financially, and emotionally — carrying more than most could bear.

⸻

Other ways to help if preferred

• You can pay TRICO directly — Crystal can provide account info or verification

• Gift cards for groceries or household essentials are a huge blessing - just remember they can’t keep anything cold until electricity is restored

• Direct pay options are available (Zelle, CashApp, Venmo, Chime, Apple Pay)

⸻

Crystal has carried many titles — veteran, provider, protector — but “Momma” is the one she guards with everything she has. And as her father, I can tell you — she has never once stopped showing up for those babies, no matter the cost.

⸻

From a father’s heart

We believe that God still makes a way when there appears to be none — and that He often does it through the hands of others. If you are one of those hands today — through giving, sharing, or praying — please know it matters more than you may ever realize.

Crystal is standing firm — trusting that even in this moment, God is already moving, already preparing provision, already making a way forward. Her faith has not wavered.

Thank you for helping carry this weight with her — and with me.