Please Help Old Man Mike

Hello, my name is Mike Large. I live in Bellingham, Washington and have lived here since 2004. I have worked in both the grocery and landscape industries, but recently lost my grocery job when the Bellingham Albertson’s closed in May 2016. I’m almost 70 years old and newly in poor health and, therefore, cannot work much at all.  I’m writing this charity appeal because I’ve fallen into a difficult financial crisis for which I need short-term assistance. 

When my former spouse and I divorced twenty years ago we agreed to live in the same town to raise our child.  Following our child’s cancer treatment, we left California for financial reasons and moved to the Pacific Northwest to be near family.  My former spouse has been disabled and unable to drive for approximately twenty years.  Because of her disability my ex-wife and I decided to rent a house together so we could raise our child together.   A few years ago, our child became an adult and began college, but my ex-wife and I continued to live in this big old house together knowing that at some point that we’d have to move.  Our landlord has helped us by keeping our rent low, but now the landlord is ready to retire and is about to raise the rent. 

Recently, my ex-wife’s disability has forced her to move into a rehabilitative center.  She can’t come back here to live on her own.  Even though I am in ill health and have difficulty moving, I now have to pack up all my and my ex-wife’s belongings and move out of this house by January 31, 2017.  I’m stuck with her share of the rent and utilities for the three months it’s going to take me to pack up and get out of here. 

I have family to help with the packing, but I need financial assistance.  I’m planning to be done with this process January 31, 2017, at which time the financial crisis dealing with her expenses will be over and I can live on my small pension elsewhere.

I could use some funding to help pay my ex-wife’s share of the rent and utilities and help with moving costs for both my ex-wife and myself.  The amount I think I need to get us out of this rental house by January 31, 2017 is $3,500.  Any funds not used for this crisis will be donated to charity.  I am a veteran and I have been a law abiding citizen my entire life.  Our financial situation and our child’s illness has left me without assets. I’m not adept at email and computers, so my adult son and daughter is helping me with this and I thank everyone in advance for their help.