Scott Kerr needs a lending hand. Literally.

Hi,

My name is Scott Kerr, for those of you who don’t know me. Originally, I’m from Toronto, then moved to Jamaica in 2000. I lived on that island for nine years, then four years on Anguilla, and now reside in St. Lucia since 2013.

Most of it was pretty awesome, but the last few years have been unkind to me, a combination of Covid shutting the island down for a year, health issues, and an inability to find new work. As such, I am now in rather dire straights, completely broke. My credit card is maxed out, so is my overdraught, I need to pay this month’s rent and utilities, and of course I have creditors as well.

It’s not like I haven’t been trying. I’ve been applying to jobs faithfully, but I believe my age is working against me more than anything else right now. And still I’ve had a couple of skype interviews that were extremely positive and encouraging, yet I didn’t get the job, no explanations given. Very frustrating, and very hard not to get paranoid. The company that employed me in St. Lucia for all my working years here now won’t even speak with me either, again no explanation given.

I am also not averse to moving back to Toronto, I just don’t seem to have any skill sets that are a good fit there these days. I have been conversing with friends back in Toronto regarding possibilities, and unfortunately, they have very few suggestions for me. I appreciate their honesty, but I really do feel stuck between a rock and a hard place right now; or the end of my rope; or the walls are closing in. Choose your favourite metaphor.

This has been my reality for some time. I hit bottom at the beginning of the year. I reached out to a group of friends for assistance, and many were very generous to me. But that could only take me so far, and here I am again. I assumed I would find a job in the interim, but no luck.

So, what have I been doing in the meantime? Well, I published two books: Tropical Bar Stories: True Tales Told over Drinks in the Caribbean, and Tropical Bar Stories: Volume II. You can find them on Amazon. I am currently working on a young adult novel as well as a cookbook. I hoped to create a career out of writing, but I don’t think anybody but my friends bought copies of my books, so no, I didn’t make much money from them.

So yes, I am in a serious jam. It’s bad. If you can help out in any way, I will be beyond deeply grateful. So will my seventeen-year-old son. He is finishing high school this year, and I fear for his future.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. And my deepest thanks if you decide to help.

Sincerely,

Scott Kerr