Hi, everyone. I’m a hardworking bartender/waitress and single mom to my 16-year-old son, fighting to keep our home stable. I know firsthand what it’s like to lose that sense of home, and I’m determined to protect my son from that pain. But life’s thrown some hard punches lately. Business has been slow, and since I rely on tips, my income’s taken a significant hit. A roommate skipped out on rent, leaving me to cover it all. Then, I missed a week of work when poison ivy swelled my face and shut one eye. On top of that, my dog got sick after eating pills carelessly left by that roommate, leading to a high vet bill to save his life. I got into an accident last Spring which totaled my vehicle and have been paying the high cost of Uber to get us around to where we have to be.

I’ve hit a point where I’m lost on how to keep it all intact. With the high price of groceries and, well, everything costing twice what it used to, I have fallen behind on my rent and owe for this month and last. We’re now at risk of losing our home very soon if I can’t get caught up. Income guidelines say I don’t qualify for assistance for most anything, and at the end of the day, it seems after the money that goes to feeding us and getting around to where we have to go, there’s not much left to put to the bills stacking up. With no family to turn to, I am giving this a shot. It’s hard for me to swallow asking for help from strangers, but I don’t know how I could face losing our home and having to disrupt my son’s comfort and security. Every dollar toward our rent means keeping our home and my son’s sense of security. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for any support you can give, and I ensure to give back in service to the community in any way I am able.