Howdy,

Some of you may already know me, and for those that do not, my name is Nicole. I live alone with my 7yr old dog Pebbles in my hometown Tucson, AZ. Here is a little bit of what has happened throughout the last year to better explain my situation and why I am leaning towards community to help raise funds.

2024 has been incredibly difficult for me to maintain a stable, full-time job and stay on top of my bills. I struggle heavily with the symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder, and as a result I have lost 3 jobs this year while struggling with the emotional weight of losing a close family member. I have not been able to receive unemployment benefits thus-far unfortunately for the positions I was discharged from. Although I am currently awaiting to start a new job, throughout the year I have mainly relied on family to help me cover my costs of living, with an expectation to return the favor, understandably so.

With that being said, I have been trying to sell and promote myself and my bread business throughout the turmoil to help make extra income, but I simply cannot rely on that as supplemental income because I cannot afford to do small business events, markets and high volume sales quite yet with my current financial situation and kitchen setup.

In 2023, along with a significant rent increase and no way to back out of my lease without having any emergency funds saved up, the car I had been using also finally broke down for good, & I had to reluctantly invest into my first car- which both events dramatically increased my cost of living and bills with a new monthly car payment added to the list, and a higher monthly rent. So needless to say, I always have and currently still live check to check.

It has become increasingly difficult to prevent myself from completely drowning as personal emergencies and unforeseen events keep knocking me back, almost as soon as I feel like I’m starting to catch up. The goal amount listed is to help cover all amounts borrowed from family members in 2024, as well as the bills I currently have extensions for, so that I can finally get back on my feet again and start fresh this 2025. If you find yourself able to donate at all, I am so grateful for your support!

Thank you for your help!

Nicole