My name is Jessica. I am a video game producer with 7 years experience working in games across Production, QA and Game Design. I reside in the Midwest with my husband and young daughter.

In January 2026, I was laid off from my position of four years at Deck Nine Games, marking my first time being laid off from a job and my first time being unemployed since 2019. My husband was laid off from his role at Ubisoft in December 2024 and has taken a much lower paying job to keep the lights on. I was the breadwinner of the house, so without employment, we are struggling to survive financially. My in-laws are retired without disposable income, and my parents are still working full-time, but do not have the kind of income to help us in the way we need.

Since my unemployment began, I have spent my days looking for work both inside and outside of the games industry, my nights on developing additional skills as a project manager, while managing my home and taking care of my daughter. Earlier in the year I had several promising interviews that unfortunate did not result in offers, but as the months have gone on, it has been harder to secure interviews, even outside of the industry in lower-paying jobs.

As of March 2026, I have exhausted all of my 401k and savings, and my unemployment insurance benefits are insufficient to cover mortgage, utilities, food, therapy and daycare/school for my young daughter. Xcel Energy raised their rates by 8% this year, resulting in my energy bills for the last few months being several hundred dollars despite doing what I can to cut back on energy and heat usage. During the months of February and March I was uninsured but needed to continue seeing my therapist. Even with her discounting my sessions, I still have over $500 that I must pay now. With insurance through the state, I am now paying 11x the price for some of my medications, which I have now stopped taking to save money.

It is difficult to ask for help during a time when so many other people are struggling. But if I am unable to secure a job soon, we may lose our home. We are already a very frugal family--we don't eat out, we don't go out or go on vacations, and we don't spend money beyond what we need to survive. I have cut back on as much as I can--seeing my therapist less often, buying and eating less food, stopped taking one of my medications which was over $100/month, and cancelling as many subscriptions as possible. I don't know how much I will need long-term, but right now I am focused on making sure we have a roof over our head for one more month while I continue my search for work.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this and for any help that you provide us during this difficult time.