Support Jeffrey and Sarah's Family in Crisis
Donation protected
My name is Jeffrey. Along with my partner Sarah, I am trying to raise a family of 5 (4yo, 5yo, 12yo, and us) on the small salary of a small rural library director. And then, these things happened in rapid succession:
- Car Trouble. Our 2011 GMC Yukon quit running when I was on the freeway, coming home from dropping the younger kids at preschool. I managed to get it into the nearest town with a loud knocking in the engine and an automatic drive gear that would not move the car forward about half the time. It would not get me home, it would cost far more than it was worth, it would likely fail again soon even if we made the repairs.
- New Car, New Debt. I pulled into a dealership, desperate to fix the situation. We came out with a functional 2018 Ford Escape, but added $361 we cannot afford to our monthly expenses.
- Health Costs. Sarah is frequently ill and has chronic pain issues and many other conditions. She wants to focus on alternative treatments (which insurance does not pay for), in addition to Western medicine (paid for by Medicaid). We had made an appointment with a naturopathic doctor for a $399 consult (a required step). By the time we knew we could not afford it, it was too late to cancel, and we were on the hook for the full $399 whether or not we went.
- Bed Bug Infestation. Then, our youngest started getting this rash, which a doctor identified as bed bug bites. Bed bugs were confirmed the day after the diagnosis. Thankfully, our landlord is picking up the tab for treatment, but I cannot return to work until the issue is resolved, as bed bugs are bad news for libraries.
- Mental Health Breaks. Meanwhile, we have a very thin support system and are pulling our hair out trying to raise these children while juggling all this stuff.
So, we're broke, and to top it off, we were hoping to get married this year in October. Instead, we're looking at a future that includes eviction, repossession of our transportation, continued health crises, etc. We are appealing to our shared humanity and to your empathy and/or sympathy when we ask for
- $1,500 for lost wages, to be spent on rent, food, gas, etc.
- $1,000 to replace furniture and other things we have to throw out because of the bugs.
- $1,400 for four months of car payments while we get ourselves together.
- $600 to plug the hole our alternative medicine bill left us with, plus other minor recent disasters.
- $200 for a ZappBug Heater to treat my book collection so that I don't have to lose all of my precious books.
- $2,000 for a modest wedding (Sarah's first, my third).
Thank you for any support you can give!
Organizer
Jeffrey Babbitt
Organizer
Kalamazoo, MI