Donation protected
Those of you who know Chris Nicholson know that he is an exemplary employee of the Rockledge Fire Department, and upstanding member of the Rockledge community, and just an all-around great person. He is one of the most dependable and loyal members of the Fire Department, being an active member of the Honor Guard, having served as SWAT medic, and having a work ethic and attitude that is rarely matched.
You may also be aware that he is still technically a citizen of the UK and has been in the US on a work visa for several years. For the last seven years that he has been employed with the Fire Department, he has been negotiating the extremely complicated and expensive process of gaining full US citizenship.
As part of the many complicated – and often strange - requirements of his work visa status, Chris has been required to leave the country with his family for two weeks on a bi-annual basis. Unfortunately, on his last required trip out of the country last month, the Embassy lost his paperwork. Despite being 100% at fault, the only solution they could offer him was to re-submit his request to return to the US, along with the enormous fee associated with it. Furthermore, he was told that this process could take up to 75 days. So essentially, Chris and his family are stranded 4,000 miles away, with no way to meet the responsibilities here at home.
Chris and his family own a home in Rockledge, which requires all of the same routine maintenance and care as any home, including animals that need to be cared for. Additionally, his wife Joanne owns a Rockledge based business, which she has been – and will continue to be – unable to attend to, costing the family thousands of dollars in lost income. As if this weren’t enough, Chris and Joanne’s two children have missed a significant amount of school.
And of course, Chris is struggling to find a solution for the time he has been unable to report for duty at the Fire Department. While several of his brothers and sisters have come forward to cover shifts, this is not a long-term solution, and soon Chris will likely need to utilize UNPAID leave until he can return. The financial burden that this process will cause for Chris and his family are obvious.
It is with this in mind that we hope you will donate to this initiative. Please give what you can to help this local hero and his family make it through this tough time. All proceeds will be processed, overseen, and dispersed by the Rockledge Fire Department’s local union chapter.
You may also be aware that he is still technically a citizen of the UK and has been in the US on a work visa for several years. For the last seven years that he has been employed with the Fire Department, he has been negotiating the extremely complicated and expensive process of gaining full US citizenship.
As part of the many complicated – and often strange - requirements of his work visa status, Chris has been required to leave the country with his family for two weeks on a bi-annual basis. Unfortunately, on his last required trip out of the country last month, the Embassy lost his paperwork. Despite being 100% at fault, the only solution they could offer him was to re-submit his request to return to the US, along with the enormous fee associated with it. Furthermore, he was told that this process could take up to 75 days. So essentially, Chris and his family are stranded 4,000 miles away, with no way to meet the responsibilities here at home.
Chris and his family own a home in Rockledge, which requires all of the same routine maintenance and care as any home, including animals that need to be cared for. Additionally, his wife Joanne owns a Rockledge based business, which she has been – and will continue to be – unable to attend to, costing the family thousands of dollars in lost income. As if this weren’t enough, Chris and Joanne’s two children have missed a significant amount of school.
And of course, Chris is struggling to find a solution for the time he has been unable to report for duty at the Fire Department. While several of his brothers and sisters have come forward to cover shifts, this is not a long-term solution, and soon Chris will likely need to utilize UNPAID leave until he can return. The financial burden that this process will cause for Chris and his family are obvious.
It is with this in mind that we hope you will donate to this initiative. Please give what you can to help this local hero and his family make it through this tough time. All proceeds will be processed, overseen, and dispersed by the Rockledge Fire Department’s local union chapter.
Organizer and beneficiary
Rockledge Local 3138
Organizer
Palm Bay, FL
Christopher Nicholson
Beneficiary