Keep a Teachers Family Together
Short Story: We have to sell our house and downsize. We will have $39,000 after the sale, but $45,000 is the cheapest livable house we can find. We need $6,000 to cover the difference - but being unemployed means no loan.
Longer Story: I have been a teacher for the last 20 years – – junior high, high school, adult school, and community college instructor. I’ve always had at least two jobs; sometimes three. I’ve always been able to take care of my family myself because I have been a hard worker and a contributing member of society.
We came to Tennessee from California to enjoy a lower cost of living so I could afford to continue teaching. Teaching has been my passion, and being in the classroom and helping students has been its own reward, but living on a teachers salary has always been difficult - especially for my family.
We had a financially devastating couple of years which resulted in bankruptcy, cashing out our entire retirement accounts to save our house, and selling as many “extras” that we could. We have had repeated medical emergencies, several family surgeries, replaced our HVAC, replaced both of our vehicles that died (with inexpensive used cars), and we’ve been trying to help our kids with college. This totally sapped our savings, caused us to fall further and further behind, and made it impossible to get back on our feet.
We managed to hold on until I lost my online teaching job, then my neuropathy led to my inability to drive, which led to me resigning from my other two jobs and being unemployed. If I can get into a house and find a job close enough, we will finally be back on our feet.
This is humbling, but we need your help. Or if you know of someone who could loan us the money. I’m also looking for any odd jobs - web design, graphic design, research, genealogy, or 3D printing jobs; even if it’s just $5 or $10 here or there.
Honestly, without us getting this house, we will have to rent a small apartment, our family will be broken up, my daughter will have to give up her cats, and we will no longer be able to foster children. This is a huge turning point in our lives.
Please help.
Longer Story: I have been a teacher for the last 20 years – – junior high, high school, adult school, and community college instructor. I’ve always had at least two jobs; sometimes three. I’ve always been able to take care of my family myself because I have been a hard worker and a contributing member of society.
We came to Tennessee from California to enjoy a lower cost of living so I could afford to continue teaching. Teaching has been my passion, and being in the classroom and helping students has been its own reward, but living on a teachers salary has always been difficult - especially for my family.
We had a financially devastating couple of years which resulted in bankruptcy, cashing out our entire retirement accounts to save our house, and selling as many “extras” that we could. We have had repeated medical emergencies, several family surgeries, replaced our HVAC, replaced both of our vehicles that died (with inexpensive used cars), and we’ve been trying to help our kids with college. This totally sapped our savings, caused us to fall further and further behind, and made it impossible to get back on our feet.
We managed to hold on until I lost my online teaching job, then my neuropathy led to my inability to drive, which led to me resigning from my other two jobs and being unemployed. If I can get into a house and find a job close enough, we will finally be back on our feet.
This is humbling, but we need your help. Or if you know of someone who could loan us the money. I’m also looking for any odd jobs - web design, graphic design, research, genealogy, or 3D printing jobs; even if it’s just $5 or $10 here or there.
Honestly, without us getting this house, we will have to rent a small apartment, our family will be broken up, my daughter will have to give up her cats, and we will no longer be able to foster children. This is a huge turning point in our lives.
Please help.
Organizer
Robert Griffith
Organizer
Rocky Top, TN