Support a New Beginning

A very good friend of mine recently connected me with a woman who is in need of a fresh start. Her story in her own words is included below. (At least, the parts she feels she can share.) Some of the details of her situation create a need for anonymity, so her name and picture are not included. I suggested that we set up a GoFundMe to help cover the many costs associated with her current season.

We've all walked through difficult seasons, times where we leaned on our family, friends, and wider community to see us through. We were never meant to struggle alone.

My hope is that you will partner with me to provide hope and some tangible support to a woman going through an incredibly heartbreaking season. I believe that a crowd of people showing up for her - maybe even moreso a crowd who doesn't even know her name - will be a reminder of the good that persists in this world. Honestly, in this world right now, I need that reminder too.

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"Over the past month and a half, my life has been turned upside down by a series of deeply painful events. I am currently going through a divorce after discovering that my husband of 4 years/partner of 8 years had been unfaithful. Our relationship, which spanned my entire adult life, was emotionally and financially abusive. I had devoted all my resources toward paying down his debt, trusting in the future he had promised us—leaving me unprepared and financially vulnerable when he asked for a divorce. Navigating life on my own for the first time, without family nearby or a financial safety net, has been overwhelming. On top of this, I just lost my mother on Mother’s Day to complications from heart disease and diabetes. As her only child, I am now solely responsible for the costs of her cremation and services, while still trying to recover from the financial fallout of my marriage. My father, who is disabled, is unable to assist. Despite these hardships, I hold tightly to the values my mother instilled in me: compassion, generosity, and a commitment to helping others. She was a selfless woman, and I strive every day to live in a way that would honor her legacy. Asking for help is difficult for me, as I have always been the one supporting others—but I now understand that I must take care of myself in order to continue that mission. I am deeply grateful for any support I receive, and I am committed to one day paying that kindness forward."