Six years ago, I moved from Springfield, IL to Central Florida to escape a domestic violence relationship and give my sons and myself a fresh start. Soon after moving, the world shut down with COVID. During that time, I made the decision to rebuild my life by going back to school and becoming a licensed esthetician.

After earning my license, I started my own body contouring business. What began with me renting a small space quickly grew—within just four months, I was able to open my own spa. For the past three years, business has been steady, and I’ve been so grateful to provide for myself and my three sons, who are now 17, 16, and 11.

Unfortunately, the last six months have been extremely slow, and despite working hard every day, it has become very difficult to make ends meet. To try to keep up, I’ve been taking on side hustles—DoorDash, Uber Eats, Spark, and even working as a TikTok Shop affiliate and live streamer. I am doing everything in my power to support my boys and keep us moving forward.

This month, though, I’ve hit a wall. I am $1,300 short on rent, and with my son’s 17th birthday on October 10th and my 2 oldest homecoming just a week later, this is an especially tough time. Asking for help is not easy for me—I’ve always been independent and determined to provide on my own. But God placed it on my heart to reach out to my friends, family, and community during this season of need.

If you are able to give—even $1—it would mean the world to me and my boys and help us keep our home. I know times are hard for so many right now, and I don’t take your kindness lightly. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading, for sharing, and for supporting us in any way you can.

May God bless you abundantly.