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My name is Jason. I am a hardworking 28 year old married man with three wonderful children 7, 4, and 1 month old, and the best wife anyone could ever ask for. When I and my wife married we were “given” my parents’ home in NY along with the mortgage as a wedding present. My wife and I have spent the last three years renovating this home, dumping every single cent we had into its improvement. We both come from broken homes and both wanted something more than what we came from, and have managed to build a loving stress free environment for our family, and in a matter of a month my “family” (brother, mother and father) have managed to crush our dream out of selfishness and this, “the world owes me something” mentality they all seem to have.
I work full time and also do side jobs on weekends to make ends meet, my wife has been out of work on disability (she will return full time in the next 3 weeks) due to the birth of our son, which should be the happiest time of our life, and yet I get to go home and see my children upset wondering why there uncle is acting the way he is, I get to see my wife cry over the fact that we have been basically reminded that even though we pay the bill and we fix this home and have made it what it never was for me growing up an actual home, that it is not ours and we should have no say over what happens.
My brother who at one time made hundreds of thousands of dollars a year an selfish heartless drug addict, who even though has never treated me or my family with any respect I have always dropped what I am doing regardless of time or place to go “save him”, and by save usually picking his drug addict ass up and making sure he gets home, or dropping what I’m doing to take him to the hospital cause he is so sick from whatever he has taken this time. Now that brother has decided to move in with us, not ask, not offer to help, but blatantly tell me and my wife, “it’s not your house , I am not asking permission to stay here”, and my parents who told me this home was a “Wedding gift” seem to agree. They feel it’s okay for a drug addict to be living among children, that it’s okay that slowly one by one pieces of my wife’s jewelry are disappearing, or that since he came has literally taken over my infant sons nursery with his disgusting belongings that I found my wife sitting on the floor of the living room trying to feed the baby because he’s asleep on the sofa passed out cold and his belonging are strewn all over the house.
My only options are to buy this home that I and my wife have built a great life in so I can say who stays and goes, or to uproot my children and move as far from these selfish disgusting people as possible.
In order to purchase this home I would need a deposit upwards of 12000 which due to me draining my accounts my sons accounts and my wife’s to “save” my brother from jail, drug dealers, etc., we have nothing left. Which has led me here, led me to the point where I feel more dependent on asking strangers for help than my own family because they can’t even help themselves? I am the little brother (youngest of four) who has always had to be the big brother, I am the one one whose entire family drops there problems in my lap as if to say deal with it. I have been the pillar supporting every single family member I have for the last 28 years, the pillar has finally cracked and can’t hold up the weight of the world anymore. I am begging on my hands and knees for help from completer strangers so I can continue to give my children the life I never had, and offer them some stability instead of having to tear them from the home they have come to love, that my wife has come to love, that I love. I want to give my children the world but my family continues to assure that won’t happen under there watch. Please I beg of you with everything I am I need help. Please don’t make us just another statistic, I found my calling and made a life for my wife and children, I have put aside pride, because they are all that matters to me. Thank You for taking the time to read this and thank you for any support or help you can provide.

I been working a lot lately but with all my bills I can't seem to put enough aside for a much needed vacation. I just got divorced so that has taken a lot of extra money out of my pocket. I would really like to go on a cruise. Any donation of any amount would be very helpful. Just click the donate button! Please help send a yound newly divorced man on the trip of a lifetime! I will even send you a postcard from Jamaica or bring you back a shot glass! Please help so I can have fun in the sun while drinking a Mai Tai!

Hello. Im writing this with my pride put aside because i've let the love of my life down as far as im concerned and need help in order to pay the remaining past due rent for this month. This is not easy for me to do because of the overwhelming feeling of failure that just eats me up inside. We have been together for more than 12 yrs now and we have always managed somehow to make it through some extremely difficult times. This women is an Angel of Mercy for those who know her and to her family she is simply the rock. She is 1 of 5 sisters, all having 2 children a piece, and to which all 10 children she has taken in under our roof for extended periods through all the years i've known her. She is the most positive and giving person I have ever met! I LIVE FOR THIS WOMEN and have always reassured her that I could never at any cost, no matter how tough things got, give her reason for serious concern or not be able to get us past any finacial issues no matter how bad it looks. Yes im feeling very sorry for myself because I was a truck driver and lost my job because of an accident that was my fault and where knowone was injured, resulted in a dollar amount that was too high for my company to retain insurance in order for me to continue in thier employment. Week to week we got by and then back in December the freight slowed and my checks that the bulk of our bills and all the rent came out of, was now barely making the household bills. We fell behind Dec and Jan rent and was given such a break from an understanding landlord and we caught up in Feb with every dime of our tax refund given to a thankful landlord but one that stated, from that point on, we must be on time. After all the struggle we went through and the extreme patients and understanding of our landlord....now i've lost my job! We have spent the first half of this month calling and talking to and submitting applications to so many programs for assistance but getting turned away with no solutions. We have no more time and if forced to moved i will have let down the last person on earth that deserves it. Our rent is $675 a month and sent $300 yesterday and it was everything we had. we need $375 and nothing more. if anyone can help, you will find knowone more greatful beyond words can trully express and any additional info needed for your consideration can be provided if requested. Thanks to all that take the time to consider any possibility for help.

in a couple of weeks i will be homeless. after becoming unemployed two years ago i was living off money which i had from cashing in my retirement account. after taking a couple of months for leisure ( i hadn't had an actual vacation, aside from a long weekend here or there, for the past 12 years) i was in the beginning phase of starting a small business. then i had a heart attack. i had surgery to place a stent in one of my arteries. it seems that i was born with a twisted artery and had been living with it all my life suffering no ill effects. according to my doctor artery walls are fairly thin and pliable when one is young, but as a person ages the walls thicken and become less pliant. when you combine these two factors with the twist of the artery, the result is a cutoff of the flow of blood to the heart. my doctor said that had i waited another day to come into the hospital, i would have died. while the surgery left me weak, it was the anti-rejection medication that i was on which was the problem. it left me so tired and weak, that after a walk to and from the local bodega just two blocks from my apartment , after i walked in the door i had to lay the bags down and sit and rest for a half hour or more, before i could put groceries away or even thinking about standing up and preparing food. quite a change from when i was biking 5 miles a day/ five days a week and lifting weights several times a week. my bank account was swiftly drained due to the cost of the hospital stay/surgery, and to the cost of medications ($130/month).
once i was off the anti-rejection meds and feeling well enough to work, i began searching for a job seeing as my hope of starting a business drained away with the money in my bank account. but unfortunately, with the economy the way it is, i have been unsuccessful in my search. i am now virtually penniless and am being evicted from my apartment. i am have sold off what few possessions i have in order to have some cash to buy the things i need for living on the streets, but the accumulated amount came to less than $100.

monetary donations via paypal are more than welcome,
i have also created a wish list at amazon.com for certain things that will be very helpful for me to have while i am homeless, but which i can not in anyway afford.

http://amzn.com/w/298Q89SP8GLCZ

i have left comments next to each item to explain why i feel the need for it. e-giftcards from amazon would also be helpful.

I am a single mother of one 7yr old that is more than a gift!! I had to step down from college for a little while when I got pregnant to earn money. I cant afford it as long as im trying to save my home. I have went through health issues, lost my job, depression, struggles and a lot of spirit breaking situations, but surprisingly im still standing and fighting! This house was the only house that I have ever known as well as my son. I bought the house from my parents when they were going through a divorce that forced the hand of them selling the house so in an effort to save my best memories and something thats been in the family since '82 I took the responsibility. I've been trying to fight against the odds my whole life so in my last effort against defeat I've came here to try and save my home!! I have court on Thursday to find out how much time I have before they completely forclose, but if anybody and I mean anybody out there can help please!!!! Every dollar counts because I have no where to turn and I need approximately $10,000 to save my home!! I dont know how much fight I have left in me and im trying to keep strong in front of my son since we have nowhere to go or no help!! Pride aside thanks in advance for anything that u can give and I will humble myself dramatically to protect my son. I just found a new job and praying its not too late!!

Since today is Mother’s Day, I wanted to share my journey thus far and what it’s meant to be a mother for me. My story is unique in that I’ve overcome various obstacles to gain what some may call normalcy. Now I’m facing a struggle in which I’m hoping to tap into the kindness of the internet in order to help me through this hurdle.

I was raised by a single parent and grew up in a town where most families were on some sort of government assistance and could barely make ends meet. I was always taught to value what I had and that hard work will always bear its fruits. My high school was filled with kids who didn’t care about getting an education. I was a introverted “nerd” who took Honors and AP classes and saw education as a way to get out of a town that didn’t have much opportunity for growth. While I valued my education, I was also bored to death, even in my “accelerated classes,” so I stupidly acted out and started to party as high school kids do. I ditched class to drink and dabbled a bit in drugs because there was nothing else to do. Even as I partied, I still managed to remain on the honor roll for all 4 years. Fast forward to the beginning of my senior year, our class had 250 kids and throughout the year approximately half of the student body dropped out at one point or another, giving up on their 14 year investment in their education. I made it to the end, but while everyone was excitedly responding to college acceptance letters, I had to throw all of mine out. Why? I was pregnant. I fully accept responsibility for my actions, but sex was not talked about in my household. I had no idea I had access to birth control or condoms and foolishly made a mistake that would change my life. I went to my prom and graduation 3 months pregnant without anyone knowing aside from my family.

The summer after graduation was spent brainstorming options and finding a job to help support my unborn child. I decided to keep the baby, thinking I would give it up for adoption. I was too immature to take care of myself, and now a baby? No way. As the months progressed, I fell in love with the baby and decided to keep her and raise her with the help of my family. I was excited but deep inside I was depressed. I really wanted to go off to college and live the life of a student living on campus, making new friends, staying up late to cram for midterms and possibly travel a bit. I couldn’t do that anymore and the thought of experiencing college in any other way didn’t entice me. I also knew if I didn’t get an education, I’d be stuck in a cycle of dead end jobs all my life. I knew I didn’t want to struggle like I’ve seen my family fight just to put a decent meal on the table and keep the lights from getting shut down.

I started college two months after my daughter was born. She was perfection and an incredible motivator. I’ve always thought that she deserves something better, beyond what I can give her but I decided to try my best to give her an amazing life. Since I just had a baby, I wanted to explore the opportunities I had outside of a traditional classroom in college. Luckily, the local community college offered online courses which only required me to be in class on the first day, at midterms and during finals week. I did this for a year and a half until I took every online course possible. Then it was time for full immersion into college. Here came daycare and having to balance college life with working and a small child.

My average day in college looked like this: we’d have to wake up at the crack of dawn so my daughter and I could ride a 45-minute bus to school. Unlike most of my classmates, I had to dash straight from work to class or go to work right after class so that I could pick up my daughter from school at a proper hour. I was very fortunate to land a job in a small office as an office assistant during college that would later prove invaluable. The pay was ok, but I was allowed to tailor my schedule to be compatible with my changing class load every semester. After our day was done came another bus ride. Once we got home, I’d have to make dinner, pack us lunch for the next day, prepare her backpack with extra clothes plus wash and prepare a day’s worth of bottles for my daughter. After I put my daughter to bed was the only time I had for homework. I’d stay up until about 2am every night doing my reading assignments or writing papers only to have to get up 3 ½ hours later to start my day again.

I did this every day for 5 ½ years.

Was it worth it? Heck yeah. I got my bachelor’s degree on my wall as proof. I am the first person in my family to ever get a degree. I have multiple relatives my age who ended up dropping out for various reasons yet I managed to graduate (with honors!) while juggling a small child and a demanding job. Aside from raising my daughter, this is what I’m most proud of thus far. I read online that less than 2% of teen moms attain a college degree before age 30. I’m stoked beyond words to be a part of that 2% (Source) I hope that this struggle and success will set an example to my daughter and show her that hard work does pay off.

After college, I worked a few jobs that I wasn’t too keen on. Too corporate, too stuffy, too bureaucratic to evoke any change and make an impact. I wanted to wake up every morning and feel inspired to go to work. I didn’t just want a paycheck, I wanted to engulf myself within organization so that I could kick ass and take names. I also wanted a 401(k), health benefits and life insurance so that my bases could be covered in old age. But mainly I wanted to wake up invigorated every morning and be able to pay my bills. After college, my daughter and I moved into our first home. I loved waking her up in her room filled with the girliest of things. I was a proud mama–on my own, college educated and living life as an independent woman.

Independent but unfulfilled. That is, until I was introduced to the CEO of my most recent employer. We hit it off immediately and within two week was offered the chance of a lifetime. I was invited to join his multimillion dollar company and close-knit team as his right hand. I’d learn all the in’s and out’s of running a business in a dynamic industry and receive a nice salary. After a bit of contemplation, I decided to resign from my stuffy job to join a company I was proud to be apart of. My job was great. It was flexible, nurturing, educational and insightful. In a few short weeks, I was in the trenches with my boss handling everything from sales to contracts to finance to HR. That is, until the company suddenly went out of business. I won’t get into the details but I was told I’d have a month before we were all let go. This was the job I wanted to settle in and dedicate years to, not just a job really but a mission to which I was dedicated.

I was laid off in March with no severance pay as the company had nothing. I had a small savings which I tapped into as I began searching for a job. I had to file for unemployment for the first time, which was hard as I’ve prided myself on not having to use government resources to pay my bills. I have almost a decade of solid work history and yet I’m struggling to find a job. Places are hiring but they’re scarce and don’t always offer pay that can support a family.

My bills are piling up and I have family and friends that are in no position to help me out. Unemployment can only pay so much and it isn’t enough to put a home-cooked meal on the table or keep everything paid. I’m in the process of starting up two businesses–one that peddles vintage finds and another that provides folks with stellar resumes to land their dream job so that I can increase my cash flow, but in the meantime, I’m asking for any donations to my cause. I’m willing to offer any services in return for a donation over $30 via paypal. There’s a button below where your transaction will be processed safely and gratefully!

Please pass this on and +1 it, favorite it, retweet it and share in any way possible! No action is too small or unappreciated.

Thank you so much for letting me share my story with you.

Since today is Mother’s Day, I wanted to share my journey thus far and what it’s meant to be a mother for me. My story is unique in that I’ve overcome various obstacles to gain what some may call normalcy. Now I’m facing a struggle in which I’m hoping to tap into the kindness of the internet in order to help me through this hurdle.

I was raised by a single parent and grew up in a town where most families were on some sort of government assistance and could barely make ends meet. I was always taught to value what I had and that hard work will always bear its fruits. My high school was filled with kids who didn’t care about getting an education. I was a introverted “nerd” who took Honors and AP classes and saw education as a way to get out of a town that didn’t have much opportunity for growth. While I valued my education, I was also bored to death, even in my “accelerated classes,” so I stupidly acted out and started to party as high school kids do. I ditched class to drink and dabbled a bit in drugs because there was nothing else to do. Even as I partied, I still managed to remain on the honor roll for all 4 years. Fast forward to the beginning of my senior year, our class had 250 kids and throughout the year approximately half of the student body dropped out at one point or another, giving up on their 14 year investment in their education. I made it to the end, but while everyone was excitedly responding to college acceptance letters, I had to throw all of mine out. Why? I was pregnant. I fully accept responsibility for my actions, but sex was not talked about in my household. I had no idea I had access to birth control or condoms and foolishly made a mistake that would change my life. I went to my prom and graduation 3 months pregnant without anyone knowing aside from my family.

The summer after graduation was spent brainstorming options and finding a job to help support my unborn child. I decided to keep the baby, thinking I would give it up for adoption. I was too immature to take care of myself, and now a baby? No way. As the months progressed, I fell in love with the baby and decided to keep her and raise her with the help of my family. I was excited but deep inside I was depressed. I really wanted to go off to college and live the life of a student living on campus, making new friends, staying up late to cram for midterms and possibly travel a bit. I couldn’t do that anymore and the thought of experiencing college in any other way didn’t entice me. I also knew if I didn’t get an education, I’d be stuck in a cycle of dead end jobs all my life. I knew I didn’t want to struggle like I’ve seen my family fight just to put a decent meal on the table and keep the lights from getting shut down.

I started college two months after my daughter was born. She was perfection and an incredible motivator. I’ve always thought that she deserves something better, beyond what I can give her but I decided to try my best to give her an amazing life. Since I just had a baby, I wanted to explore the opportunities I had outside of a traditional classroom in college. Luckily, the local community college offered online courses which only required me to be in class on the first day, at midterms and during finals week. I did this for a year and a half until I took every online course possible. Then it was time for full immersion into college. Here came daycare and having to balance college life with working and a small child.

My average day in college looked like this: we’d have to wake up at the crack of dawn so my daughter and I could ride a 45-minute bus to school. Unlike most of my classmates, I had to dash straight from work to class or go to work right after class so that I could pick up my daughter from school at a proper hour. I was very fortunate to land a job in a small office as an office assistant during college that would later prove invaluable. The pay was ok, but I was allowed to tailor my schedule to be compatible with my changing class load every semester. After our day was done came another bus ride. Once we got home, I’d have to make dinner, pack us lunch for the next day, prepare her backpack with extra clothes plus wash and prepare a day’s worth of bottles for my daughter. After I put my daughter to bed was the only time I had for homework. I’d stay up until about 2am every night doing my reading assignments or writing papers only to have to get up 3 ½ hours later to start my day again.

I did this every day for 5 ½ years.

Was it worth it? Heck yeah. I got my bachelor’s degree on my wall as proof. I am the first person in my family to ever get a degree. I have multiple relatives my age who ended up dropping out for various reasons yet I managed to graduate (with honors!) while juggling a small child and a demanding job. Aside from raising my daughter, this is what I’m most proud of thus far. I read online that less than 2% of teen moms attain a college degree before age 30. I’m stoked beyond words to be a part of that 2% (Source) I hope that this struggle and success will set an example to my daughter and show her that hard work does pay off.

After college, I worked a few jobs that I wasn’t too keen on. Too corporate, too stuffy, too bureaucratic to evoke any change and make an impact. I wanted to wake up every morning and feel inspired to go to work. I didn’t just want a paycheck, I wanted to engulf myself within organization so that I could kick ass and take names. I also wanted a 401(k), health benefits and life insurance so that my bases could be covered in old age. But mainly I wanted to wake up invigorated every morning and be able to pay my bills. After college, my daughter and I moved into our first home. I loved waking her up in her room filled with the girliest of things. I was a proud mama–on my own, college educated and living life as an independent woman.

Independent but unfulfilled. That is, until I was introduced to the CEO of my most recent employer. We hit it off immediately and within two week was offered the chance of a lifetime. I was invited to join his multimillion dollar company and close-knit team as his right hand. I’d learn all the in’s and out’s of running a business in a dynamic industry and receive a nice salary. After a bit of contemplation, I decided to resign from my stuffy job to join a company I was proud to be apart of. My job was great. It was flexible, nurturing, educational and insightful. In a few short weeks, I was in the trenches with my boss handling everything from sales to contracts to finance to HR. That is, until the company suddenly went out of business. I won’t get into the details but I was told I’d have a month before we were all let go. This was the job I wanted to settle in and dedicate years to, not just a job really but a mission to which I was dedicated.

I was laid off in March with no severance pay as the company had nothing. I had a small savings which I tapped into as I began searching for a job. I had to file for unemployment for the first time, which was hard as I’ve prided myself on not having to use government resources to pay my bills. I have almost a decade of solid work history and yet I’m struggling to find a job. Places are hiring but they’re scarce and don’t always offer pay that can support a family.

My bills are piling up and I have family and friends that are in no position to help me out. Unemployment can only pay so much and it isn’t enough to put a home-cooked meal on the table or keep everything paid. I’m in the process of starting up two businesses–one that peddles vintage finds and another that provides folks with stellar resumes to land their dream job so that I can increase my cash flow, but in the meantime, I’m asking for any donations to my cause. I’m willing to offer any services in return for a donation over $30 via paypal. There’s a button below where your transaction will be processed safely and gratefully!

Please pass this on and +1 it, favorite it, retweet it and share in any way possible! No action is too small or unappreciated.

Thank you so much for letting me share my story with you.

http://educatedsinglemom.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/i-am-the-2-or-my-life-as-a-teen-mom-2/

Since today is Mother’s Day, I wanted to share my journey thus far and what it’s meant to be a mother for me. My story is unique in that I’ve overcome various obstacles to gain what some may call normalcy. Now I’m facing a struggle in which I’m hoping to tap into the kindness of the internet in order to help me through this hurdle.

I was raised by a single parent and grew up in a town where most families were on some sort of government assistance and could barely make ends meet. I was always taught to value what I had and that hard work will always bear its fruits. My high school was filled with kids who didn’t care about getting an education. I was a introverted “nerd” who took Honors and AP classes and saw education as a way to get out of a town that didn’t have much opportunity for growth. While I valued my education, I was also bored to death, even in my “accelerated classes,” so I stupidly acted out and started to party as high school kids do. I ditched class to drink and dabbled a bit in drugs because there was nothing else to do. Even as I partied, I still managed to remain on the honor roll for all 4 years. Fast forward to the beginning of my senior year, our class had 250 kids and throughout the year approximately half of the student body dropped out at one point or another, giving up on their 14 year investment in their education. I made it to the end, but while everyone was excitedly responding to college acceptance letters, I had to throw all of mine out. Why? I was pregnant. I fully accept responsibility for my actions, but sex was not talked about in my household. I had no idea I had access to birth control or condoms and foolishly made a mistake that would change my life. I went to my prom and graduation 3 months pregnant without anyone knowing aside from my family.

The summer after graduation was spent brainstorming options and finding a job to help support my unborn child. I decided to keep the baby, thinking I would give it up for adoption. I was too immature to take care of myself, and now a baby? No way. As the months progressed, I fell in love with the baby and decided to keep her and raise her with the help of my family. I was excited but deep inside I was depressed. I really wanted to go off to college and live the life of a student living on campus, making new friends, staying up late to cram for midterms and possibly travel a bit. I couldn’t do that anymore and the thought of experiencing college in any other way didn’t entice me. I also knew if I didn’t get an education, I’d be stuck in a cycle of dead end jobs all my life. I knew I didn’t want to struggle like I’ve seen my family fight just to put a decent meal on the table and keep the lights from getting shut down.

I started college two months after my daughter was born. She was perfection and an incredible motivator. I’ve always thought that she deserves something better, beyond what I can give her but I decided to try my best to give her an amazing life. Since I just had a baby, I wanted to explore the opportunities I had outside of a traditional classroom in college. Luckily, the local community college offered online courses which only required me to be in class on the first day, at midterms and during finals week. I did this for a year and a half until I took every online course possible. Then it was time for full immersion into college. Here came daycare and having to balance college life with working and a small child.

My average day in college looked like this: we’d have to wake up at the crack of dawn so my daughter and I could ride a 45-minute bus to school. Unlike most of my classmates, I had to dash straight from work to class or go to work right after class so that I could pick up my daughter from school at a proper hour. I was very fortunate to land a job in a small office as an office assistant during college that would later prove invaluable. The pay was ok, but I was allowed to tailor my schedule to be compatible with my changing class load every semester. After our day was done came another bus ride. Once we got home, I’d have to make dinner, pack us lunch for the next day, prepare her backpack with extra clothes plus wash and prepare a day’s worth of bottles for my daughter. After I put my daughter to bed was the only time I had for homework. I’d stay up until about 2am every night doing my reading assignments or writing papers only to have to get up 3 ½ hours later to start my day again.

I did this every day for 5 ½ years.

Was it worth it? Heck yeah. I got my bachelor’s degree on my wall as proof. I am the first person in my family to ever get a degree. I have multiple relatives my age who ended up dropping out for various reasons yet I managed to graduate (with honors!) while juggling a small child and a demanding job. Aside from raising my daughter, this is what I’m most proud of thus far. I read online that less than 2% of teen moms attain a college degree before age 30. I’m stoked beyond words to be a part of that 2% (Source) I hope that this struggle and success will set an example to my daughter and show her that hard work does pay off.

After college, I worked a few jobs that I wasn’t too keen on. Too corporate, too stuffy, too bureaucratic to evoke any change and make an impact. I wanted to wake up every morning and feel inspired to go to work. I didn’t just want a paycheck, I wanted to engulf myself within organization so that I could kick ass and take names. I also wanted a 401(k), health benefits and life insurance so that my bases could be covered in old age. But mainly I wanted to wake up invigorated every morning and be able to pay my bills. After college, my daughter and I moved into our first home. I loved waking her up in her room filled with the girliest of things. I was a proud mama–on my own, college educated and living life as an independent woman.

Independent but unfulfilled. That is, until I was introduced to the CEO of my most recent employer. We hit it off immediately and within two week was offered the chance of a lifetime. I was invited to join his multimillion dollar company and close-knit team as his right hand. I’d learn all the in’s and out’s of running a business in a dynamic industry and receive a nice salary. After a bit of contemplation, I decided to resign from my stuffy job to join a company I was proud to be apart of. My job was great. It was flexible, nurturing, educational and insightful. In a few short weeks, I was in the trenches with my boss handling everything from sales to contracts to finance to HR. That is, until the company suddenly went out of business. I won’t get into the details but I was told I’d have a month before we were all let go. This was the job I wanted to settle in and dedicate years to, not just a job really but a mission to which I was dedicated.

I was laid off in March with no severance pay as the company had nothing. I had a small savings which I tapped into as I began searching for a job. I had to file for unemployment for the first time, which was hard as I’ve prided myself on not having to use government resources to pay my bills. I have almost a decade of solid work history and yet I’m struggling to find a job. Places are hiring but they’re scarce and don’t always offer pay that can support a family.

My bills are piling up and I have family and friends that are in no position to help me out. Unemployment can only pay so much and it isn’t enough to put a home-cooked meal on the table or keep everything paid. I’m in the process of starting up two businesses–one that peddles vintage finds and another that provides folks with stellar resumes to land their dream job so that I can increase my cash flow, but in the meantime, I’m asking for any donations to my cause. I’m willing to offer any services in return for a donation over $30 via paypal. There’s a button below where your transaction will be processed safely and gratefully!

Please pass this on and +1 it, favorite it, retweet it and share in any way possible! No action is too small or unappreciated.

Thank you so much for letting me share my story with you.

I`ve never asked for anything before, I`m usually very good about taking care of my family and keeping things in private no matter how bad they are but I`m hoping my good karma will come back to me now.
I am a stay at home mother who doesn`t just sit around eating bon-bons all day with my kid. My son is 15 months old, with Achondroplasia, which is a type of dwarfism. He got it from his father. I lost my job of 5 years December 26th 2011, because I was sick. Lost the unemployment hearing too. Since then I`ve helped out by doing survey sites and other odd jobs online, as well as housekeeping and babysitting and whatever I could in the real world.
Our son needs alot of one-on-one time. He just had head surgery April 10th and is still recovering, though he has improved drastically from it. The day we came home from the hospital, April 13th, my husband was fired for taking the 3 days off to be in the hospital with us 2 hrs upstate. He lost the unemployment hearing as well. Same boss, we both lost to him. Sucks but we have to move on.
Well then to add to the pile our landlord bailed on us. We`ve been sitting around with the rent wondering why no one has come to get it. Turns out he ran off with some woman somewhere, left half the houses to his wife to rent out, and the other half to his brother...who doesn`t want to rent. He already has a buyer too, who doesn`t want us in here.
We`re sitting on a ticking time bomb, basically hiding because we can`t afford to pay rent here and pay to get out. Our lease has been up for 3 months anyway.
Now as luck would have it we found a place, and we have half the money to get in, but the lady can`t help us out with the deposit. She`s been nice enough to hold it for us for now, but we need the money to get in.

My husband just landed a job, but he doesn`t start for another 2-3 weeks and then its mostly training. Tonight both us and the dogs had ramen noodles for dinner, and we are running out of formula for the baby..Wic isn`t available for another 3 days. We need something, anything. I`m not asking for alot, just a dollar or anything you can find in yourself to help us out. Anything would be appreciated.

Thanks.
The paypal listed is our roommates. He is currently paying all the bills himself except the rent so he can`t help put anything aside for the move.

my grandmother is in stage 4 of pancreatic cancer - we don't know exactly how long she has left, she really could go at anytime, so it'd mean to world for me to be able to visit her one last time. I haven't seen her since 2007, when I moved to the other side of Nebraska. I've been in contact with her, and she'd like to see me as well. She lives in Crawford, Nebraska and is only 67. It's so sad because she had just beat breast cancer last year.
I currently live in Baltimore, MD and I need to catch a Greyhound bus to Cheyenne, Wyoming - from there, I'll either get a ride or catch the Denver Coach up to Alliance, Nebraska, where my father lives. I intend to stay there for at least one week while visiting, longer if possible)I have my own health issues and need to keep my doctor appts, but I'm wiling to shove those aside should I have the chance to stay in Nebraska longer). I am on SSI, so I cannot afford a ticket on my own. If I leave immediately, the ticket to Cheyenne is nearly $350 from Baltimore - a ticket for the Denver Coach from Cheyenne to Alliance will run me around $100 and I'd also like to get some extra for gas for my dad to return me to Cheyenne, or enough to catch the Denver Coach back to Cheyenne, not to mention food while there. Food is cheap out there so I wouldn't need much to avoid mild starvation =P
Well, if you can spare anything, please drop me a donation - I will pay it forward cent per cent on here as my fiances allow.

I'm a 56 year old married woman who has been on social security disability for over 10 years.

In 2006 my husband and I were finally able to put a down payment on our home. This was my first home purchase and I was ecstatic. Chances are we probably shouldn't have qualified for this house, but the lending predators made sure we did.

Long story short, we are now into our second year of chapter 13 bankruptcy. While helping our youngest daughter with college expenses and other unexpected expenses we have fallen behind on our mortgage. I've have been paying what I can but it's not enough.

Everyday my stomach is in knots not knowing whether a motion is going to be filed to take our home away. We've worked hard for what we have, and if we lose it now, we will never be able to purchase again. We love our home.

If gives me pleasure to see my husband putter around in his front and back yard knowing that its the only joy he has aside from his stressful job and poor health. I think it would hurt me more knowing how it would break him to lose that serenity.

I know by next year we will be in a much better financial place, but right now we could use all the help we could get.

Thank you in advance.

My 2 younger boys have autism. They have problems sitting in their booster seats, and it has become very dangerous. In December, my youngest child fell asleep in his booster, and even though he is and was at the time, the proper height and weight, we stopped short and he fell out from under the seat, catching his head in the belt. He was okay, thank God. But... It scared us very badly. We are a family of 5 on one income and have no money to put aside for new seats. I want to buy them Radians by Sunshine Kids. They are seats where the 5 point harness goes to 85 pounds. My kids torsos are small, so they will fit them perfectly. However, the seats are extremely expensive, and cost are $290 a piece. And we need 2 of them. I am asking for help to but these carseats so my children can be ultra safe in the car and I won't have to be terrified for their safety. Please help. If everyone gave just a bit, we would surely come up with the money to buy them. thank you for looking.

I need help from your donations.
I am currently in debt and have a traditional food businesses in Indonesia.
I need the money of 2000 dollars to pay the debt and 500 dollars to re-start a food business.
very difficult for me to get a loan in my area without using collateral.
any amount of help you give is very meaningful to me.
with regardless of the debt, I can re-start a new life. I really hope you can put aside some of your income and wealth to petrify me.
I can only pray that God repay you and provide an abundance of possessions.
thank you for your attention and I wait for your good will and donations.

u can contak me at aspalpanas78@gmail.com

I have been searching for help, I did something I thought was a good deed and it turned out I was taken for granted and I fell into debt. I sent money I thought was to a charity in singapore for a childrens home. I couldn't believe that people could be so cruel. Now I am here with my electricity about to be turned off and heat. I am looking for help only to repay back. I have been paying out to many payments when I know I can do this with one payment a month. Is their any kind of help I can get. I have tried everything. I am married and we raise our granddaughter. I am a volunteer for my church and I do the best I can. I would give my last dime to someone if I knew they needed it more than me. Now it hurts me to say, I am the one that needs the help. I believe in myh heart no one likes to beg, but their are times when we have to put certain feelings aside to save my family.

All the financial means that would've let my best friend/spirit sister be matron of honor at my wedding have fallen thru, in true Murphy's Law fashion. This is one of MANY snafus all draining joy from my wedding, the worst being my dad passing away. I'd forgo all the gifts on my registry if it meant my best friend could fly here for my wedding! (Please click the headline above for the full story. THANK YOU!)

Hi, my name is Kendra Lynn S. I'm 22 and living in Kansas City, MO. I'm originally from Ashland, KY but I moved to Missouri in August of 2011 to live with my aunt and work for her husband. I needed a change and needed to get away from a life that was killing me in Kentucky. I miss it sometimes and I miss my friends, but I met an amazing man here who loves me with all his heart and I plan to marry him and spend forever with him. We don't have a lot of money but we are getting by, we're just happy to be together. I work 2 jobs and he works full time at a bank, but we're having trouble raising money for a huge step in our wedding planning: I have to declare chapter 7 bankruptcy.
I have $10,043 in medical bill debt from an accident in January 2010 where someone hit me with a 4-wheeler, putting me in a coma for 2 months and then physical therapy and rehab after that. The original bill was $200,000 for the medical costs, but I received a scholarship to cover 95% of the cost because I didn't have health insurance at the time. While I was in a coma, I lost my apartment, fell behind on payments on my school loans, and my bills were sent to collections. Ashland Kentucky is a small town, and we're kind of a small family so I didn't want to press charges on the person who hit me. But when I met my fiancé and we started talking about marriage, I discussed my situation with a lawyer to determine what I should do.
We want to be able to buy a house in the future, but with this debt the lawyer was afraid that my credit will hinder that. The lawyer was also afraid that since my bills are in collections that if I get married that the creditors would seize my fiancé’s assets. My fiancé doesn't have much, but we are sharing his truck since I lost my car and if the creditors took his truck we'd be out the $10,000 remaining on the truck loan and without a vehicle. I decided I would try to press charges just for the cost of filing bankruptcy, but the person who hit me was the sheriff’s son. No police report was ever filed. Small town politics are good in most situations. This is not one of them.
The lawyer tried to do what he could, but Kentucky’s statute of limitations for filing suit against someone is 1 year. By the time I decided I needed to sue, it was too late. So I’m stuck with a bill I can’t pay and it’s the only thing keeping me from marrying the man I love. My mother is a medical transcriptionist in West Virginia, and she’s barely making enough to support herself and her boyfriend so I can’t ask her for help. My father has been in prison my entire life so I don’t really have anyone to turn to for assistance with this. My fiancé’s parents have been very helpful, but they only have so much to help with and they can’t assist us with the bankruptcy.
Me and Trey (my fiancé) are paying for the wedding and the honeymoon entirely by ourselves, on top of keeping up with rent and truck payments and regular bills. Like I said, we’re happy and we’re doing okay living a humble lifestyle. Other people have it worse, I get that and I’m grateful for the love I’ve found and the life I get to spend with him. We wanted to get married in June, but at the rate we’re able to save towards the cost of filing bankruptcy, it could be next year before we could get married, and neither of us want to wait that long.
I already spoke to 1 lawyer and was quoted $1500, two payments of $750. Our finances are so carefully budgeted that and stretched so thin that we just can't do that. My fiancé has stopped eating breakfast and lunch to save money, started riding his bike to work and is doing everything he can to save money. We’ve set aside $300 towards the filing cost. It’s taken us 4 months to do that. We intended on using our tax returns to file, but mine was taken by the creditors and we used his to try to get ahead on our bills. So here’s what I’m asking: any donation towards the cost of filing my bankruptcy would be a huge blessing right now. Some members of our church have offered to assist us, and someone referred us to this site. I
think it’s a great thing that people are willing to help complete strangers out and I wish that I had the resources to help others at this time. We’ve already agreed that we will do whatever we can to help others in need on this site once we can start setting more money aside once we’re married. But right now, I need $1200 total to cover the cost of my bankruptcy, so any donation towards that would be a blessing. Thank you for taking the time to read my story, God Bless!

Hey everyone,This is my first time doing this,but I had push aside my pride to seek help.I am a 22 year old female part-time student,and was a full time worker.I currently am seeking help for my utility bills because I lost my job due to my circumstances with an ex boyfriend.He abused me physically and kept showing up to my job,so yeah I was terminated for that and missing days of work due to bruises.Now he's long gone and Im stuff with bills and rent,that I have idea how I will pay.I know if something don't come through for me I will end of at a local Salvation Army and Im not saying that would be a bad thing but It would make my life kinda more difficult than what it already is.I am hoping someone will read my letter and is able to spare atleast 10 or 20 dollars,honestly any amount will be appreciated.Here are my bills listed,I do have 240$ in savings accoun, but not enough to help me through this stressful situation.Rent:400,Water:95,Lights:130,and Gas:99(The gas I can go without since its getting pretty warm.

Dear Selfless Donor,

My name is Carol and I am a college grad facing extremely difficult times. Like many others, I have not been guaranteed success and steady employment after college. After living with my parents and endlessly floating from minimum wage job to another in a small rural town with no opportunities, I decided to take control of my life, take a risk, and move back to Philadelphia for more opportunities. I have finally landed a wonderful, amazing job in my field of marketing, but I just started so I won't be getting a paycheck for a few weeks, and I have no money left and nothing else to sell. I need to pay rent in order to continue on with my newfound career, and I am drowning in debt. I have over a hundred grand in student loan debt and am about to default; both of my bank accounts are negative several hundred dollars due to fees and returned payments from not having the funds; I also have credit card debt from having to resort to using only plastic due to lack of money to pay for things like transportation, food, and other bills like my cell phone, which is the most basic prepaid phone and plan possible. I am overwhelmed and my stress and worry level is so high, it interferes with my health, social life, and keeps me from being able to focus in my new work completely. I have panic attacks, nervous breakdowns, and crying fits daily and I have exhausted all options aside from anything immoral and illegal and have borrowed all the money I could. I hope that a generous person could give me the help that I desperately need and once I am back on my feet I would love to pay it forward to someone else who needs it because I know how it feels. Thank you.

Hi, my name is Cassia and I am a first year University student in Ontario. I am seeking some financial help, to assist me in paying my post-secondary tuition fees. I am currently working two part time jobs to support my rent and phone bills, but I have not been able to set aside very much money for my tuition ($10,000), seeing as rent is very expensive in this city.

I go to school out of town because it was one of the only three universities that offered my program (Foods and Nutrition). My father is retired and my mother works part time since he retired. They do not have enough money to help me out, even though they have offered me assistance in the past. I know that they would go broke if they tried helping to pay my tuition, and I would not want to put them in such a position.

Any donations would be greatly appreciated, and would help me out tremendously!!

Thank you for your consideration!

I need to pay off a small loan so I can re-borrow. Recently my husband lost his job of nearly 20 years. We have been able to stay afloat,but now we have unforeseen expenses. I can borrow against my 401k if I can pay off previous loan. I tried to get a hardship disbursement but didn't qualify. I work a lot to keep us ahead. A new loan would give us a small amount to put aside for future problems. My health is now suffering due to constant worry.

Hi.

Thanks for taking the time to read my request. I'm 30 years old, still in college and living with my parents. I've made a lot of great accomplishments in my life with far less support than most people who make it this far. Of course, with that said I've also made plenty of mistakes.

I grew up with a single parent, and another parent who visited annually just to stir up emotions and make my life miserable. When I was 18, I decided to work really hard to lose weight so that I could join the US Air Force. I had a strict plan that I was going to follow to succeed in life.

Unfortunately my superiors in the USAF would not accommodate that plan to independence as they forced me to find my own way from the barracks to work (a 40 mi drive), so I had to immediately struggle to get my drivers licence and I had to buy a car on an Airman's paygrade.

My income wasn't enough to afford the car and gas and other living needs that I was expected to pay, so eventually I had to leave the Air Force before my term was up (under honorable conditions). I tried to work as a civilian. The transfer was tough and I was vastly uninformed about what to do and what my options were. I'm the first first generation college student of my extended family.

After some petty jobs that would each take more than 10 years to be able to earn enough to live independently, I finally found a nice nighttime custodian job that was at least simple enough for that kind of pay. I was the night time custodian, but I was also a guy to have on call at this retirement home where I worked. If people's toilets flooded or a nearly deaf resident left their tv on past quiet hours (once I could hear one through 3 floors!) I was the guy to send up to fix it.

Having my first satisfying job as a civilian, I was able to investigate community college during the day, so eventually I enrolled and tried taking a few classes while working full-time. College was my saving grace. I never felt like I belonged anywhere until I first started to take college courses in math, science, and philosophy. I found the tutoring lounge on campus, made a lot of friends there, and I spent many hours cramming and helping those in need.

This soon led to me finding financial aid, making arrangements with my parents (my mom and my stepfather) to let me go to school full-time while I lived with them, and putting in my 2 weeks notice at work to focus exclusively on school.

My counselors advised that I pick where I want to transfer to and then figure out the details of how to get there after I got accepted. I think this was bad advice. While I ended up choosing to transfer to a university that had my desired major, Biophysics, it was 60 miles away from where my parents lived. My car that I had bought when I was in the Air Force also eventually broke down from not being able to afford maintenance while I worked, and was towed away for being in the public street for too long.

Finally, I got accepted to UC San Diego to work towards a degree in Physics with a specialty in Biophysics. When it came time to transfer, I got as involved as I could on how and when I was supposed to receive the financial aid so that I could go get an apartment and everything, and my school kept telling me, "you should get it tomorrow" until about 2 weeks into my first quarter when I finally got the support.

Despite this rocky start, I managed to get into a good shape for myself, making my way slowly but surely through school. Learning a great deal. Eventually when I felt the struggle was too difficult, I changed my major to Neuroscience before I began my upper division coursework.

So, as I settled into my schooling and struggled with maintaining financial independence on financial aid, I managed to get myself into maintaining a great aquarium hobby, owned two great little kittens from a street cat program, led as president of a student organization for one year, and eventually I got married. I also carefully learned about the stock market and managed to make some great gains with money that I had invested from financial aid savings.

In 2010, my gains were over 100%. That amounted to $2000 doubling itself, but still, that says a lot about me as a trader. However, 6 months into my marriage, she said she wanted out, grabbed the car that we both paid into (most of the money was mine from stocks; $5500 worth), and refused to pay her share of 2 months rent. That happened in December of the year of 2010.

2011 was a difficult year for me. I fought hard to maintain things, especially my head, but it was tough. I lost 45 lbs from exercising regularly, made lots of new friends, and I got some volunteer work experience in a Neuroscience lab. But I just couldn't focus well enough to maintain my finances and my grades, so I had to drop out and live back with my parents.

Despite how tough it's been, not finding work, struggling with the ins and outs of the VA, and just needing a professional therapist to talk to and help me keep my head straight but never being able to get one, I've managed to recuperate well enough and learn a lot more about this bottom floor of society that I've been so desperately trying to escape my whole life.

I've gone looking for opportunity in every direction. I've tried changing my career goals, collecting recyclables, writing online, trying any online scheme that didn't include me forking out money to get it, imagining what I could write as a novel, tried to make money through playing video games, making goal after goal after goal for myself, but still just not being able to get just the right amount of money to put me back on my feet.

I'll be going back to school in April at the risk of having to do it as a homeless person if the VA doesn't pull through for me. They recently approved my 10% service connected disability status and now I need to jump over a few more hurdles to get my more significant service connected disabilities recognized. I'm also seeing what the vocational rehab people can do for me despite the bureaucratic issues that are stopping them from helping me all the way.

BTW, this whole time that I've gone through life with common lower class difficulties, I've been disabled with a number of small conditions that all add up to a hard time. I have lower back issues that the military has yet to own up to. Community college found also that I have a learning disability which makes some intellectual tasks show up as lower than average ability for me while the rest of my intellect is high enough to expect that I could easily get a Masters Degree or a PhD. My biggest difficulty in school is that they don't give me enough time to show them what I know or what I'm capable of.

From working with special needs students as a tutor, I have proven to myself that there is a major problem in the education system. Most teachers never simplify the material into a clear picture of what they want to teach. If you want someone to learn something, the last thing you should be fuzzy on is what it is exactly that you want them to learn. We can't all work like intuitive Jedi or sophisticated parrots.

If you help me out, here is a list of the priorities of what your money will go towards, in order of their priority If you would like to request that I spend your donation on a specific cause, please let me know:

1. A working cheap economic vehicle.
I need something that I can sleep in and that will take me wherever I need to go. Preferably something that can stow quite a few recyclables as well to pay for gas, but not an SUV or truck or van (Unless that's all that is cheap of course. Not likely but you never know.).
I'll aim for great gas mileage, but I'm thinking that I should attend some police car auctions to see what the cheapest deal I can find is. This car would make a great shelter for me while I return to my far away school.

2. Investing on the stock market.
Trust me, I know how to fish. If you want to send me a request for proof I'd be glad to compose some evidence of my finest moments as well as my worst to show you that I can do well for myself on the stock market, even during the recession. What I could really use right now, is a little bait. Trading is good money for me, but to make enough to make gains worth more than the commission cost (about $10), you need about $300-1000 per investment. $300 is more for the high risk lottery plays on the market. I even made a blog about it if you would like to see:
http://www.squidoo.com/TheYoungidealistEconomyBlog
If you are willing, we can arrange something personal so that you wont need to worry about me putting the money you offer at high risk and blow it all. Might even be able to arrange something where I could make money for you to prove myself before accepting your donation. Whatever the case, I know we'd have to make it a personal arrangement to satisfy the current laws.

3. Working towards paying my debts to my friends.
My friends have been really supportive through these hard times, though they are starving students themselves. To keep up my morale they've bought me food, given me a place to crash when they could, and even paid to have me join them at fun local events. I have some money that I've promised them back, and I plan on making due on those promises as soon as possible.

4. Paying off my debts with companies.
I've had times where I couldn't afford to pay for rent and had to leave, like when my wife left me to live with her parents. These issues follow me on my credit score and I would like to work towards removing them so that I can turn my life around.

5. Getting a good start towards paying off my student loans.
I know I won't be able to pay them off before I find a good career with my degree. I would just like to have something to start making some automatic payments with and put that part of my bad credit score behind me as well.

6. Buying a home.
My mom never owned a home. No offense meant to land lords out there, but I really think the rental system is way out of line. My mom was always a hard worker. Way better than me, yet she could never own a home because she didn't have the money. Meanwhile, people with money could live in great big houses for less than she even had to pay.
I want a house to own. Probably start with a condo and seek ways to improve it and flip a profit out of it. Then I want to keep building up money from housing until I can manage to build an apartment building.
If I could, I'd like to make an apartment building near a university that offers cheap housing using the Japanese capsule model or something even more economic and more comfortable.

7. Making an online tutoring site meant to offer free tutoring and tutoring for tips. Imagine a site (I have yet to know of one) where people can collect their resources on a class, much like they collect info on ratemyprofessor.com, but also seek help from others who are taking the class or who have taken the class. Donors like you can offer money to tutors who post their notes and stories on the site, alongside ratings from other students that they helped.
Some tutors can offer their rates for help, sell their notes online for cheap, or just offer their help whenever they can and ask to be tipped through paypal if someone likes their work. My hope is that such a site could help to put an end to sophistry in the college system once and for all, making education easy and affordable for everyone.

8. After I have everything I'm hoping for above, the sky is the limit. But I would prefer to put the extra money that I don't need to good uses. I would spread a little philanthropy around, give to others in need on this site and through other resources.
I'd also look to teach others how to fish. I think a great way for the economy to be fixed would be if philanthropists made some really good employee owned companies. Make the place pay for itself, skim a little off the top, and walk away knowing that you really were a job creator.
I think that everyone who is capable of work and who chooses to work deserves to have their own independent living situation. I know that we are a long way from that, but I tend to be an optimist. I would like to try and make the world a better place, if nothing else.

Aside form financial help, I'm interested in anything else that I could get that's useful. Advice, Neuroscience Career connections, work, hobby or volunteer work that can easily become lucrative, I'm really all ears. Thanks again for taking the time to read my request. I hope you find it in you to help me out, even get to know me if you'd like. Bet you $5000 I can make you laugh. Did I win? >;) it was worth a try anyway.

I'm disabled. Aside from the $12,000 I receive from Social security disability insurance I have no other income. I own a piece of land that was given to me to build on. I just need to get the money to build a house on it.

Hey everyone. I've been dealing with panic disorder and agoraphobia for about 10 years. I'm currently 28 years old and am almost finished with a bachelor's of science degree. It has taken me almost ten years to complete, but I refuse to give up. I live with my parents still and sell things on ebay, try to do daily jobs, and take classes either on campus or online. I do not have medical insurance and I really need to have my eyes checked, a doctor's check-up, a dental cleaning, and money for Sallie Mae bills. Food, gas, and hygiene money aside. I've pretty much run out of things to sell and my parents don't have enough money of their own to support me. I have applied for HIP but am still on the waiting list after two years. I think it's pertinent to mention that I apply for jobs daily online. I do not sit around and wait for hand-outs. A lot of the jobs I have managed to obtain, I lost due to panic attacks. If I need to "step out" for a few minutes to collect myself, the employer doesn't understand. It's very frustrating because I try repeatedly with the same results. I would love to be able to see a psychiatrist, but again, I cannot afford it. I belong to online self-help communities and try to give myself the best therapy I know how. I have potential -- I know I can offer a lot to people if I can just get out there. If anyone could help me out with any amount, I'd be unbelievably grateful. Not really sure where to go from here.

send your pocket change
please donate those much maligned, often disparaged, far too frequently disregarded and otherwise cast aside pennies
I shall put them to good use

I recently met the woman of my dreams, accidentally...I wanted a penpal, so that I could practice my Russian (I studied it while in the army) and ended up meeting a wonderful woman. She has no interest in leaving Russia, aside from visiting occasionally (on business - she's an air stewardess) so that means I'm going there. I still don't have my degree, but would like to get my certification to teach English as a second language, but there is no institution in the US, which gives certification in TESEL or a CELTA and is covered by the G.I. Bill.

I have 24,000 of student debt already, and can barely make ends meet. I'm able to save approximately $100 a month, and I'll need about $3,000 in total for the certification. I sold pretty much everything that I don't need (electronics, games, etc...) and came up with about $1100...So that leaves $1,900 still. Any help would be amazing, I love this woman with all of my heart.