"I'm no John Wayne..."
Donation protected
Hello friends, and family, old, new, and those I've yet to meet.
My name is Andrew, and until recently, I was a wine steward in a grocery store. I have been working since I was 16 years old. In 43 years in the workforce, I've bussed tables, tended bar, served thousands of plates of food, washed those plates, and kept my customers coming back. For decades, I worked evenings as a Professional Theatre Artist. You may recognize me from any of these past lives. Folks, I need some help.
Here’s what the docs report: I have “End Stage” Osteoarthritis in both hips. The rotator cuffs in both shoulders are “torn beyond repair”. I also have cataracts in both eyes, ocular surface disease, and pigment degeneration in both irises. Because of these conditions, I’ve been unable to work. I have filed a claim for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), but it takes three to five months, minimum. For the necessary surgeries, I have coverage through the Oregon Health Plan. I had to change insurance coverage twice, but should be getting back on schedule with my doctors in February and March.
I have never been in a spot like this before. My financial situation has become dire, and I am asking you to help me keep the roof over my head until that SSDI. I have The Oregon Trail Card for food, and past experience in restaurant work, makes me quite thrifty in the kitchen. But…
Though my little house is a humble home, to be sure - a 1978 double wide pre-fab, it's all I have in the world. I've crunched the numbers to include space rent, electricity, phone, and transportation - (bus passes, Medical Courier). If there was anything, anything I could do to avoid this situation, I would be doing it. I realize that, as I age, I am no John Wayne. I can’t go it alone.
Hopefully, Social Security Disability will arrive with expediency. This should put me in a more stable position, depending on the outcome of four major joint replacements, and cataract surgery.
Many thanks with all my heart, for reading about my situation. Many more heartfelt thanks for your compassion and generosity. I bid you peace, and hope for better days ahead.
Keep smiling!
Andy
My name is Andrew, and until recently, I was a wine steward in a grocery store. I have been working since I was 16 years old. In 43 years in the workforce, I've bussed tables, tended bar, served thousands of plates of food, washed those plates, and kept my customers coming back. For decades, I worked evenings as a Professional Theatre Artist. You may recognize me from any of these past lives. Folks, I need some help.
Here’s what the docs report: I have “End Stage” Osteoarthritis in both hips. The rotator cuffs in both shoulders are “torn beyond repair”. I also have cataracts in both eyes, ocular surface disease, and pigment degeneration in both irises. Because of these conditions, I’ve been unable to work. I have filed a claim for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), but it takes three to five months, minimum. For the necessary surgeries, I have coverage through the Oregon Health Plan. I had to change insurance coverage twice, but should be getting back on schedule with my doctors in February and March.
I have never been in a spot like this before. My financial situation has become dire, and I am asking you to help me keep the roof over my head until that SSDI. I have The Oregon Trail Card for food, and past experience in restaurant work, makes me quite thrifty in the kitchen. But…
Though my little house is a humble home, to be sure - a 1978 double wide pre-fab, it's all I have in the world. I've crunched the numbers to include space rent, electricity, phone, and transportation - (bus passes, Medical Courier). If there was anything, anything I could do to avoid this situation, I would be doing it. I realize that, as I age, I am no John Wayne. I can’t go it alone.
Hopefully, Social Security Disability will arrive with expediency. This should put me in a more stable position, depending on the outcome of four major joint replacements, and cataract surgery.
Many thanks with all my heart, for reading about my situation. Many more heartfelt thanks for your compassion and generosity. I bid you peace, and hope for better days ahead.
Keep smiling!
Andy
Organizer
Andrew Hickman
Organizer
Bend, OR
