My name is Stefani and I'm a mom to two kiddos with autism (ages 13 and 16) and a bonus mom to my boyfriend's son. I'm currently trying to support all five of us (plus 3 cats and a dog) but am only able to work part-time. My savings have completely dried up and my income isn't enough to cover the bills each month.

Here's my story:

I'm a former middle school English and history teacher. I spent 12 years in the classroom before COVID hit and the pandemic changed everything. I stopped teaching full time in order to homeschool both of my kids. My daughter couldn't wait to get back to in-person school but my son begged to continue homeschooling. He has autism and public school was a nightmare for him. He doesn't do well with crowds or loud noises and would get overstimulated very easily. His teacher would send pictures from class activities and my son was off in a corner looking miserable in every single one. He was sad and angry most of the time and it broke my heart. It became apparent very quickly that he did much better at home with me and so when the lockdown ended, my daughter went back to school and i continued staying home and working with my son.

In 2022 I made the decision to finally leave a 20 year marriage that had been both mentally and sexually abusive for years. I knew that leaving would be detrimental to my financial well-being but my kids were watching how I was being treated and I knew that I didn't want them to think that was what a normal healthy relationship looked like. I secretly saved every penny that I could for over a year in order to prepare for moving out and starting over.

I started an OnlyFans in 2023 as a way to set more money aside and did pretty well my first year. It allowed me to set my own schedule that worked around homeschool and made it possible to stay in the house we'd been living in when my ex moved out. Business slowed down in early 2025 and I started dipping into my savings to cover medical bills (my daughter has a LOT of medical expenses) and to offset unexpected expenses like my water heater dying and a small irrigation disaster.

My boyfriend and his son moved in with us in August. He's been looking for work ever since but the job market in our rural area is pretty limited and he hasn't had any luck yet. Feeding three people on my paycheck was barely doable. Feeding five is impossible.

I applied for SNAP benefits last month because I was having to choose between paying my utilities on time or buying food and prescriptions. I was approved but the government shutdown happened before we ever saw any of the benefits. I don't know how we're going to make it through the winter. I'm scared.

If I get a job, my son would have to attend public school again. He's made a lot of progress emotionally and I'm scared he'll go back to being sad and angry all the time if he has to go back.

I know that there are so many people who are struggling right now - my situation isn't unique.

My electric bill is over $300/month and our prescription meds are are between $200-400 monthly. I had to stop filling my daily inhaler prescription because it's $400 every month. I just had dental work done last week and I have no idea how I'm going to pay for it. I need help until my boyfriend can find a job or until I can find a second part-time job. I'm scared and desperate. If you can help, it would be appreciated more than I can express.