I'm a Brooklyn-based queer trans bartender and co-parent to an amazing seven year old. I have been under-employed for entirely too long. While interviewing regularly and exploring new career directions, I have been making just enough to disqualify myself from partial unemployment, but not enough to pay my bills. Debt is mounting rapidly as I've financed everything I can.

I'm at risk of losing housing and am about to go into collections with my only credit card. I'm not contributing enough to the considerable expense of raising a child, which is unfair to my co-parent. It feels like a house of cards.

That said, I believe in the quality of my work and I have been averaging an interview a week lately. I know I have skills and drive to build on, but I can't do that if I'm homeless, and I need to rebuild my cratered credit. I need help to get out of this hole.

Beyond that, as a late in life transitioner, there are a lot of gender affirming expenses that are simply pipe dreams right now. I'm not fundraising for that here, though. I'm fundraising to give myself the fighting chance to get where I need to be to do that for myself.

I know I can do this, but I'm painfully aware that I can't do it alone.