Hi, I’m Kevin. And I need your help.

The Backstory

In March 2024, I was laid off from my job without severance pay or any fallbacks to rely on. To date, with over 950 job applications filed, I’ve only had three interviews with prospective employers. Despite what you may have heard on the news or from Washington, DC, the job market is terrible in the United States right now. Between economic retraction from aggressive tariffs and the explosion of generative AI technology driving huge layoffs across industries, most job postings today—whether they’re on Indeed, ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn, or smaller, more specialised job boards—have well over 100 applicants within hours of being posted, if the job is even real at all.

Don’t take just my word for it, the labour crisis in the United States is horrible and has been documented. Even the US Labour Department’s own numbers are bad , if they can even be trusted following the massive layoffs, restructuring, and funding cuts at the department. I’m sharing all of this background because I think it’s important to my story and why I’m asking for help.

I have applied for jobs within my career focus and outside it. I have looked for work with Costco as a warehouse employee, Safeway as a cashier/produce clerk/etc., summer camps as a part-time counsellor, and everything in between. I do not have the luxury of being picky, so I apply for everything I am even remotely qualified for, but all I’ve gotten are rejections. The only bright spot I’ve had in the last two years—an offer from Boeing in Everett, WA—was pulled back with no explanation at the last minute in late April 2026, leaving me discouraged and even more upset about the situation I find myself in.

Right now, as I write this message on 2 May 2026, I am no longer “struggling to stay afloat,” I am sinking. In 2025, I had to withdraw funds from my tax-deferred retirement accounts to pay the bills for rent, my Jeep, food, credit card debt, insurance, prescriptions, and medical care. The retirement plan from my time working at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy in Chapel Hill, NC is now completely depleted. My savings are all gone.

The Challenges

My biggest challenge is asking for assistance from anyone. I never want to be a burden to others, but I’m out of options and I have to ask for help.

I currently owe:

The Ask

I am asking for your help to raise $8500 to cover my bills for the next few months. I have applied for a payment plan with the IRS, which will—hopefully—convert the lump sum debt of $7000 to a much lower monthly payment. But unless something changes soon, I don’t have any income with which to pay for it or the expenses daily living incurs. That’s why I need help, just to hold things steady until I can find a permanent, full-time job and rejoin the workforce.

Any amount you can spare will definitely help and absolutely be appreciated!

I understand, as I said above, that things are tough for everyone right now and I don’t want to strain anyone. But I need your help, if you can spare anything at all, please consider supporting me towards my goal so that I can keep a roof over my head and maintain the ability to search for a job.

Thank you!