Hello. My name is Tamara and, for the first time ever in my life, I am sincerely asking for help. I am living in southern California with my 2-year-old son Gemari and my mother, who is a senior citizen and a widow. Yes, my household contains all three of the people the Bible says we need to help first - the widow, the fatherless, and the poor - but right now, I have no help and no options. Our closest relatives are 3,000 miles away and I am completely alone over here away from everyone. I am truly trying my hardest to survive as a single mom in a place that is not my home, and most of the time, I feel really scared, alone, and absolutely defeated. I do not receive any child support - or any kind of support for that matter - and never have since my son was born, though I have tried to.
I have always helped people unselfishly... ALWAYS. I feel embarrassed asking for help, but this is my last option - and a desperate one at that. I have never denied help to anyone - if a poor person asked for money, I gave it if I had it. I donated money and my son's baby items to single moms and domestic abuse shelters... I have always had a giving heart and never hesitated to give freely. I have even loaned money to people (even other single moms and not-so-single moms) who have refused to pay me back, yet I still try to keep my heart good so that I can still help others when I'm back on my feet.
Yes, I have tried applying for jobs for the last six months. I have done work from home jobs, Wal-Mart, temp jobs paying as little as $7/hr... whatever it takes to put food on the table for my son and make sure he is taken care of. He comes first. I am still out here applying, as a matter of fact.
I had my own business, which was doing okay at first to sustain us. I wasn't rich, but I was able to pay the mortgage. Sometimes utilities would fall behind, but it was okay because I was working and my son was happy. Unfortunately, business began to slow down and when I tried to find new clients, I was actually burdened with "Clients" who did not want to pay me for my work, never sent me any referral business, and only wanted me to write/publish for them for free. And yes, they got over on me, even though they knew I was a single mom entrepreneur trying to survive out here on my own. Maybe they didn't think my work was that good... I don't know. However, as a result, my company has folded and I am just trying to pick up the pieces. I am still looking for work - I go to the temp agency everyday - and have yet to get hired somewhere.
The reason I am asking for help is because of all of the hardships that are now overwhelming me. All I want to do is be able to get my mom and son out of this house so that I can list it for sale. I want to move my family back to the east coast so that we are closer to family if an emergency like this were to happen again.
My mom has bravely been using her tiny check to try and pay everything here, but the stress is killing her, especially as we fall further behind. I hate being such a burden on her. I used my entire tax refund to catch my mortgage up for the last two months and am now dead broke with no help. No churches have tried to help us, no community groups so far. no nothing.
With all the the help I have given the world, only to be in this situation right now leaves me incredibly disenchanted and disappointed. Was I wrong to help all of those people? Should I have been smarter and a little more selfish? I honestly thought I was doing God's will, not taking anything away from my son. Everyone I have tried to help don't seem to understand that they didn't take from me - they took from out of my son's mouth, and that is a mistake I

vowed I would never make again. He's just a defenseless toddler in this crazy world. He doesn't deserve that treatment. Maybe I do for being so foolish to think I could help others, but I don't want that for my son and mom.
I am trying to raise this money over the next two weeks. The quicker I get the house listed, the quicker it can/will sell. And unlike other GoFundMe drives, I am going to pay back whoever donates when my house sells (unless you specifically ask me not to). I am not a beggar, and I believe that if someone helps you, you should pay them back or at least attempt to do so.
I just want my son to have a better life and in order to do that, I have to start over and rebuild from rock bottom. I know this may be a long shot, but if I can't make this goal and vacate this house so it can go up for sale, I'll lose my house to foreclosure anyway. I just want to be able to get my loved ones back east so they are closer to family if something happens to me. Whatever happens, I am going to continue to work hard and leave the rest in the hands of Our Heavenly Father. I am fighting to keep the faith, but that is all I have left at this point: faith in the Most High and whatever His plan is for me.
Thank you so much for listening to my story. Even if you don't donate, that's fine. Every prayer - or even an encouraging note and a share - does wonders. For those who do donate, please remember that I am promising to pay you back if you want. Thank you again.
I have always helped people unselfishly... ALWAYS. I feel embarrassed asking for help, but this is my last option - and a desperate one at that. I have never denied help to anyone - if a poor person asked for money, I gave it if I had it. I donated money and my son's baby items to single moms and domestic abuse shelters... I have always had a giving heart and never hesitated to give freely. I have even loaned money to people (even other single moms and not-so-single moms) who have refused to pay me back, yet I still try to keep my heart good so that I can still help others when I'm back on my feet.
Yes, I have tried applying for jobs for the last six months. I have done work from home jobs, Wal-Mart, temp jobs paying as little as $7/hr... whatever it takes to put food on the table for my son and make sure he is taken care of. He comes first. I am still out here applying, as a matter of fact.
I had my own business, which was doing okay at first to sustain us. I wasn't rich, but I was able to pay the mortgage. Sometimes utilities would fall behind, but it was okay because I was working and my son was happy. Unfortunately, business began to slow down and when I tried to find new clients, I was actually burdened with "Clients" who did not want to pay me for my work, never sent me any referral business, and only wanted me to write/publish for them for free. And yes, they got over on me, even though they knew I was a single mom entrepreneur trying to survive out here on my own. Maybe they didn't think my work was that good... I don't know. However, as a result, my company has folded and I am just trying to pick up the pieces. I am still looking for work - I go to the temp agency everyday - and have yet to get hired somewhere.
The reason I am asking for help is because of all of the hardships that are now overwhelming me. All I want to do is be able to get my mom and son out of this house so that I can list it for sale. I want to move my family back to the east coast so that we are closer to family if an emergency like this were to happen again.
My mom has bravely been using her tiny check to try and pay everything here, but the stress is killing her, especially as we fall further behind. I hate being such a burden on her. I used my entire tax refund to catch my mortgage up for the last two months and am now dead broke with no help. No churches have tried to help us, no community groups so far. no nothing.
With all the the help I have given the world, only to be in this situation right now leaves me incredibly disenchanted and disappointed. Was I wrong to help all of those people? Should I have been smarter and a little more selfish? I honestly thought I was doing God's will, not taking anything away from my son. Everyone I have tried to help don't seem to understand that they didn't take from me - they took from out of my son's mouth, and that is a mistake I


vowed I would never make again. He's just a defenseless toddler in this crazy world. He doesn't deserve that treatment. Maybe I do for being so foolish to think I could help others, but I don't want that for my son and mom.
I am trying to raise this money over the next two weeks. The quicker I get the house listed, the quicker it can/will sell. And unlike other GoFundMe drives, I am going to pay back whoever donates when my house sells (unless you specifically ask me not to). I am not a beggar, and I believe that if someone helps you, you should pay them back or at least attempt to do so.
I just want my son to have a better life and in order to do that, I have to start over and rebuild from rock bottom. I know this may be a long shot, but if I can't make this goal and vacate this house so it can go up for sale, I'll lose my house to foreclosure anyway. I just want to be able to get my loved ones back east so they are closer to family if something happens to me. Whatever happens, I am going to continue to work hard and leave the rest in the hands of Our Heavenly Father. I am fighting to keep the faith, but that is all I have left at this point: faith in the Most High and whatever His plan is for me.
Thank you so much for listening to my story. Even if you don't donate, that's fine. Every prayer - or even an encouraging note and a share - does wonders. For those who do donate, please remember that I am promising to pay you back if you want. Thank you again.
Organizer
Tamara Mayo
Organizer
Victorville, CA