Support Chad and Stacy's Journey to Stability

UPDATE: Chad here. A big thank you to all who donated in May. We're in significantly better shape than we had been. But I'm here to ask for help a final time, despite it going against all I normally stand for, and it's my fault for undershooting on the initial goal.

As I mentioned in the first post, I had to make financial arrangements with a company to be able to keep my license from being suspended after the accident, despite our vehicles never touching, because I had been underinsured at the time. Those payments were consistent from September last year until March when I lost my job, at which point I paused them out of necessity.

A few days ago, I contacted them to update them on our situation and status and have them take a payment (the original plan was 200 a month, 100 every other week as my checks came in). They did...in error, because they also took the rest of what I'd paused, meaning another 500 came out. I'm up to date now, but it wiped what had been set aside for rent, with just a few days until it's due.

Additionally, Stacy is job hunting again after never seeing an hours increase in her job. She was laid off with an apology that they overhired and couldn't give her hours due to high labor costs.

The increased goal is just to keep rent covered. We're good on utilities, food, and other stuff and we're both interviewing steadily. So this should be the final ask. It's just a time crunch. I've picked up some other cash in hand odd jobs to compensate but none of them start til a full week into June which is too late (where rent is concerned).

So again, I know this campaign is less important than 98% of the ones out there, but we will take whatever help we're given. We have no choice. Thank you in advance for considering.

ORIGINAL: Chad, she's Stacy. The last 16 months have been horrific. On New Year's Day 2023, Stacy and I were in a serious car accident west of Janesville. Another vehicle crashed in the same spot first due to the freezing fog and zero visibility. It couldn't have been avoided, but we escaped with just contusions, concussions and a broken bone. Some amazing friends let us use a vehicle for months to save for a new vehicle, but at the time a purchase was about to be made, we received notice that that the insurance of the first person who crashed determined my vehicle had caused damage to theirs (it didn't, we landed ahead of it in the culvert).

My vehicle WAS under insured (just liability at a capped amount since I paid so little for it), so only three grand of a $12k repair was covered. I had to make the choice of either having my license suspended for a year or taking the vehicle purchase money and using it as a 20% down payment on the debt. I chose to pay it down

At the same time, Stacy lost her job and couldn't find one for almost two months, where I carried us financially. Walking or rides from friends is how we traveled. Fast forward to March this year, and job losses struck again, her first and me one week later. She's working again but her hours haven't built up to the amount she was told she would get yet and I'm desperately looking, interviewing by phone, and waiting for unemployment to do their thing.

We haven't been able to handle the one-two punch. Paying rent this month is looking dicey. Plus a vehicle has presented itself from another friend that is perfect and would allow me to travel for additional interviews outside Monroe, and we'd be able to get it and hold off on payments until we're back on our feet better. It just needs to be registered and insured (fully this time) before that happens.

That's what these funds are for. Making sure we don't lose our apartment (we have nowhere else to go), getting a vehicle secured, and having the ability to finally get out of this mess that we've been in for what feels like forever.

The idea of doing this fundraiser feels foreign to me. I feel like I'm giving up if I don't find the solutions to all this by myself. But my fight is almost gone, so I'm sucking it up and putting it in God's hands that some of you see fit to help us. To those who may, thank you so much. As fundraisers on here go, what we're asking is pretty modest, but I'm keenly aware that nothing is promised and others need help more, so thanks in advance for any help provided.