My way out....

Hi, friends/family/fans,

My name is Christina Lopez, and I was promised 14 years ago that this would never happen again. Flash forward, and now, after years of abuse, I am a survivor of domestic violence struggling to make ends meet.

Three years ago, I had had enough, so I left. I only took what I could fit in my car, my kids, and a huge labrador retriever named Sparky. I have fought so hard to get child support, custody, and peace of mind. I have spent all my savings and am now living paycheck to paycheck, continuing to fight for freedom and peace. I may have full custody and court-ordered child support, but I have yet to receive any child support.

But I believe in working hard and want to support my kids. They have been through enough. I want to do my best to keep them in sports and the only school they know. So, I have multiple jobs, doing whatever I can to pay rent, school supplies, food, and clothes.

All the while, I have driven on with persistence and drive by going back to school. Yes, overall, I have been going to school for three years. The first time I went to college, I had a 1.3 GPA and dropped out years ago. Now, I have a cumulative 3.4 and a 3.9 GPA in my major. I have only four weeks to graduate from the University of Colorado, and I can walk across the stage, something I have dreamed of doing for years.

Unfortunately, not getting any support has put me into EVICTION status. I can't even consider attending my May 11 graduation as I cannot afford flights, much less a roof over my head. I must pay for my back fees by April 20.

My last resort is to ask for help from my friends, fans, family, and anyone who wants to help. I need to get to commencement on May 11, and this amount will help pay my March back rent, half of this month, and three Southwest Airlines tickets to Denver so my kids can see me walk across that stage. I plan to move into something more affordable after graduation, but I don't want to be homeless before I graduate.

Once this is all done, you better believe this will be my next stand-up special.

Warm regards,

Christina Lopez