Military Tags

hi my name is dashaune,my husband is in the military and we never had a chance to have a wedding, he is coming home in twoweeks and will be here for only one week then we will have to move to fort bragg nc so we want to try to have a small wedding with our close family and friends, if anyone can help us out that would be awesome please! all we need now is flowers, food, hair and make, and a dj! please anything will help us

We are raising money to help Veterans and their Families that are in Need! Currently we are focused on a Navy family that is in dire straights! The husband is a Veteran who has just been released early from the Navy due to government budget cuts. The wife has just undergone hip and leg surgery and is currently disabled. They have two small children ages 1 and 3. They are currently in debt and have been living out of a hotel. They lost military housing a few weeks ago. Also their car has broken down. They are currently in Virginia. They were kicked out of the hotel and as of now they are literally on the sidewalk. They have no place to go, and they have no money. They need money so that they can travel back to Illinois where their families are! Please please help! Help a Navy Family get home. All donations will be used to help this family and many others like it!

I normally don't ask for help with anything and this is my first post on this site I am new, but I am unable to work and my husband is a goraphobic veteran for those who don't know what goraphobia is it's a condition where an individual cannot be around others, or they will go into a rage. Unfortunatly from being in the Military for so many years he cannot be around others or come out of the home so he is unable to work. I on the other hand have for many years made my way one way or another through the years paying our bills month to month. I cannot go out into the work field because I am the one who cares for everyone in my household. Recently I am slowly losing all my income and I now need help paying my rent, My landlord has been very grateful to work with me seeing that I haven't paid rent since November 2011 but he is now asking that I pay him the money but I have absolutely no way to pay him. I have 3 children a 14 year old a 10 year old and an 11 month old. I don't want to get kicked out of the home I am in cause I don't have no where else to go...I thank everyone for reading my post and any donations are very much appreciated you will always be in my prayers.

Please help my family with a one-time donation towards my family's last-ditch effort to get back on our feet.

I lost my job 4 years ago and we barely live off my military retirement.

We don't want to file bankruptcy (and frankly, we can't afford $1,500 to do it).

We're struggling but with your help we can make it.

Thank you so much for whatever you can give.

- Bruce in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts

I never thought that I would be in this position but I am begging and crying for help.

I am a retired military service member, my daughter is a 9 year honorable discharged veteran. We share a home with her 2 daughters.

Due a tax lien I was unable to pay my rent for April and now May.

Neither my daughter nor myself seems to qualify for all the vet assistance programs because we did not deploy to areas such as Iraq or Afganistan. We stayed home and took care of the family members of the personnel that did.

It hurts not to be able to take care of my family as I should.

Is there anyone out there that can please help.

Thank you for listening

My name is toby. I am 29 from New York state. I am also half Australian with dual citizenship. I also work at a historic hotel called Mohonk. My long term plan is to move to Australia at the end of the year where the economy is still very good. I then plan to go back to school with the goal of getting a phd in phsycology. I then wish to return to the u.s. and help military vets as well as at risk youth. My work will get busy over the summer so all this is realistic, but right now it is still very slow! I have exhausted my savings and cannot pay my rent at the end of this month. Please help me! I am willing to start corresponding to keep you updated on my progress towards my ultimate goal.I hate asking for help but im really scared that I am going to become homeless. I have paypal or I can give you my address for a money order. Thank you so much kind people!

Sometime ago, my grandparents, Anthony and Mercedes passed away within 2 years with my grandpa being first, but before that came about, my grandparents dying wish, was that after they passed, that the money they had saved up would be split between me, my uncles, aunts, father, mother and sister. So my uncles and aunts promised my grandparents they would do that, we all agreed.

Also, my grandma wanted a big funeral with everyone she knew to be there. But after she passed, my uncles just disappeared, and my aunt Gloria robbed my grandma out of her own funeral, she only invited 6 people out of 50, stole all the money that was supposed to be for the funeral and split between us all, which totaled up to a little over $100,000, and she took it all for herself and her husband, moved to Nevada, and pretended like my mom, dad, sister and me didn't even exist, worst then that, is that she never apologized, my uncle Dave did nothing, and either did any of my cousins.

They promised to fulfill my grandparents dying wish, and I believed them, my grandparents believe them, and in the end, they stole from their own parents, my grandparents. I begged my aunt for an answer on why she did what she did, and she never came clean, she never once admitted she was wrong, and worst then that, she ignored me, and my mom, dad and sister. It's just the four of us, and we're financially struggling worst then ever before, because we were betrayed. This has effected my sister the most, because her depression has been getting worst, and because of it, she has tried to kill herself a few times because of how things turned out, but she didn't, although I couldn't stop her from cutting herself.

I am currently the only healthy person in my family right now. My mom is disabled and has cerebral palsy, my father is ex-military who is also disabled, and just recently, he was hit by a car and can no longer work, and my sister has asthma. I'm 25 years old and currently unemployed, despite the fact I went to college, I can't find a job anywhere. My mom too, went to college, earned her degree, and she can't find a job either. I worked for a several years, but was let go because business was slow. Since then, I've been selling my stuff left and right just to get through and to help my family, but it's not enough.

If there is anyone out there that can help me and my family, I would be eternally grateful and thankful to you, and to the good Lord for this blessing. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and God bless you.

Hello Everyone
I am a woman with cerebral palsy who is wheelchair-bound. I am looking for part-time employment. I have a bachelors of science in criminal justice. I also have some postgraduate training in public administration. I am looking for employment because I have to repay a $10,000 loan I took out my graduate education. Unfortunately I was unable to complete my graduate degree because I became ill. Now that I have recovered I would like to have steady work so that I can pay off my loan debt and hopefully once that is paid off return to school so I can fulfill my lifelong dream of helping military veterans have a better quality of life. Because of Medicaid restrictions I can only make $200 per month without losing my benefits. While I was in graduate school I worked alongside the veterans organization at my university where I performed budgeting and other administrative tasks. I have a resume available upon request. If you are interested in hiring me please e-mail me at donanausmc@gmail.com
Thank you for your time and consideration everyone
Sincerely Aydan

PLEASE HELP ME AND MY FAMILY. I served the military for 14 years and have no way of providing for my family due to the VA taking all my compensation pay until 2014.I have 4 small kids and no where to turn.We have no food, lights got cut off last week and rent is behind a month,plus other bills piling up.If there is anyone that can help us out it will greatly appreciated and my God bless you for helping.

I am in the military and haven't been able to see my parents for a long time...I have been in training for over a year. I am about to graduate in a couple of weeks and am living paycheck to paycheck,so I don't have the money to get them here. They also cant afford it because they just lost their house about a three months ago and are almost to the point of being homeless. I just was asking for the money to be able to bring them out to see my graduation. I'm in CA and they re in Va, I just know that this would make them feel so blessed in the middle of their crisis. I thank anyone in advance for helping out.

God Bless,
Kristina Brown

I am a mother of 2 boys currently going through the divorce process with my Soon to be ex husband who is serving in the US ARMY the rules they have in place for a soldier to support their families once seperated is absoulute ridiculous. Long story short I was only granted 601.00 a month by "military regulations" that my spouse would have to pay me. He almost makes 2000.00 a month for housing allowance alone and needless to say I am struggling. I googled this site primarily to find government assistance but came across this site. I know a lot of you reading this would say "why wouldn't you get a job" but the truth is while following my husband across the country I have not been able to work for the past years so every interview I have that is a one of the concerns that comes up by the person interviewing me. I have taken some college courses online but now that I am not dependent on my military spouse I'm completely dried out from any educational benefits I had looked forward to receiving. I know one day in the future I will be fine but right now I am struggling like never before.

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 every one, well I have recently left the military at the beginning of the year and have had an accident which has required me to have surgery. This means that my work has stopped paying me after 2 weeks, and now I have no money to pay for the rent on my house or my bank loans. I have a wife and two kids to look after, and need some one to help me out until I am back on my feet and back to work. This is a massive long shot asking on this site but I am in trouble here. Please donate anything that you can.

Thank you

We have a youth military basketball team in need of basketball uniforms. We have ten players which they parents have deployed or are deployed playing on the team. Please donate for a great cause. The kids don't have uniforms, currently they using tshirts.

I am a 26 year old mother of 2 adorable children. My husband was killed by a drunk driver a few months ago, and we can no longer make ends meet. I am constantly hounded by collection calls, and have had to make some tough sacrifices. My husband had no life insurance, and was preparing to enlist in the military. He never got the chance to serve his country, or see his children grow up. I have job skills, but cannot afford daycare anymore. I don't qualify for any assistance programs, and I don't want to be a welfare mom in the first place. We have exhausted all options as far as borrowing from friends and family, and I don't know where else to turn.

I need help to pay some of my bills. I have not been able to work since I left the Military in 1997 as a Disabled Veteran. I was in the Military for over 11 years.

Anyway, I have over $1,200.00 in bills I can't pay. I do get a disability check from the VA, but it is not enough to cover all of my bills. I hope that someone can help me before my bills get more than what they are now.

Thanks for any help anyone can give me.

I am an Unemployed, Disabled Veteran. I haven't been able to work since I left the military because of my service connected disability, after serving over 11 years.

Anyway, during my time in the military I meet several Japanese people and got a longing for a Japanese wife. But I never did get to go to Japan. So I now want to go to Japan to find me a Japanese wife. But since I am a 100% Disabled Veteran my income is very limited. So I need help getting the money for the plane ticket to Japan, and money for a week stay, and some extra for meals and other costs.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I am an Unemployed, Disabled Veteran who can not work because of my service connected disability. I served for over 11 years. I have not been able to work since I got out of the military in 1997. And what I get from the VA every month for my disability barely pays my bills every month. And right now the tires on my car are bald. And I do not have the money to buy new tires or even used tires, as I need 4 new tires. Any help with this will be greatly appreciated.

THANKS!!!

Having a family has always been important to me.

Over the last several years, I have exhausted my savings in attempts to have a family. The natural attempts to have a family have been unsuccessful, so I went to IUI’s. After a year of unsuccessful IUI's and 2 miscarriages, the only option left is with IVF and donor eggs.

The cost is $30K for the Donor egg program and the IVF procedure.

I’m active duty military and my insurance company does not cover any part the costs for the donor's medication and the IVF procedure nor does it cover the medication that I will need to take.

I have tried to get a loan thru various channels available to me but have been unsuccessful due to not having any collateral in which to secure the loan with.

I’ve had several people volunteer to be a co-signer for a loan but their income- to- debt ratio and credit scores prevent them from being approved.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

To whom it may concern,

Stated Goal: $2,000.00 (by March 21st, 2012) for tuition, books and some new pants to get my academic career going... Breakdown of $1,288.33 for tuition/fees, approximately $400.00 in textbooks/supplies for the quarter, and the remainder for some pants and necessary travel expenditures for the first month of school.

I know you have many options with where your hard-earned money goes - some may make you feel GREAT about shedding a few pounds in the wallet, and others will leave you feeling downright dirty. I know this, because I was once in your shoes; money in my wallet, left only to my vices as to where to spend it. I never felt right about just handing it over to someone who, in my opinion, would merely go drink it away, drug it away, etc. It's funny how life throws these things all back into your face sometimes, and as such I find myself in need and hoping that the right person(s) will have the faith to invest in me - that's right, I said INVEST.

I don't believe in a handout, but I DO believe that sometimes we fall a bit harder than we are prepared to do and as such are put into situations that we neither expected nor are comfortable with. I opened a business that was going rather well for its first 7 months of operation. Then, through an anonymous post from someone online that "appeared" to be from my company, me and my business partner got black-balled from the industry (VERY political/bureaucratic in that particular industry). When this went under, though, it took me and everything I own with it - my vehicle, my home and much of my personal belongings. Prior to that, I spent 11 years on active duty military status in order to protect and serve this country. Yes, I've earned the G.I. Bill and fully intend to use it for its designed purpose. TheMy defining issue, however, is that the Bill pays for school on a month-to-month basis, at the END of each month of training. For example, my school begins this April 2nd so I cannot claim my benefits until the end of April, which will cause my first G.I. bill payment to get sent out in early May. The school, however, requires payment up-front and as explained above, I currently do not have the capital to get started. Once I've started, the Bill will sustain me, therefore I merely ask for assistance in getting the first quarter of classes paid, including books. I have a great academic history, and this is truly where I excel. My purpose is to some day acquire a PhD in pharmaceutics and do research to find new and improved medications for the benefit of the masses.

As for the pants, I have two pairs remaining and both have holes in the legs and crotch. While these DO technically work for all intents and purposes, it gets a bit breezy on these cold days and nights, and is probably unsightly (at best) to any of my would-be professors who may not appreciate an instructor's-eye-view of these things. As such, I figure I might like to buy a couple of pairs prior to matriculation.

Thank you, in advance, to any and all who assist me on this endeavor.

hi,
this is the hardest thing i have had to do ever.and i dont exactly now how to tell you.
i am a 56 year old ex military police man,i am disabled with a spine contition.
i dont have any money after my ex wife 5 years ago made me bankrupt,
now i have a beautiful thai wife and we have been married for 4 years, we are very much in love and she live in thailand.
last year we found out that she has a very bad contition that could kill her, and she is only 32 i dont want to say what it is on here, but i will tell any one about it that can help me,
in thailand there is no state funding, so if you get ill and you are poor, you die, and thats a fact.
she needs regular treatment and medication to keep her alive, both me and my wifes family are poor and money is somthing we dont have a lot of.
i can only go out and see her twice a year i dont have the money to pay for the ticket i have to send every spare penny i get to her, i live alone and only allow my self £15 per week to live on. please please. is there any kind hearted sole out there that can donate some money to help us, im not going to ask for an amount, thats not nice, any amount will help no matter how much. i am prepeard to come and work for it,
i hope that god will be kind to me and find some one to help before its to late.
i thank you in advance.
god be with you all
kind regards

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.

Never thought it would come to this.
My life was grooving along till about 2 years ago. I was in the military married with 1 child. I was drinking to much so I told the military with out getting into trouble. There are horror stories about doing this and didn't believe it would happen to me. IT DID! I was given a general discharge after over 12 years of service (about 7 years from retirement) a little over a year ago. My wife and I are divorcing. I now have 2 kids (1,4). She has custody. I have not been able to get a job since. There is much more to the story than just this but that's all I'll put for now but if you'd like to hear more email me at maksmojo@hotmail.com or you can just donate. Thanks in advance for anything that is donated.

I've always been too proud and independent to ask for help... now I feel like im drowning. This is my last resort, I can't face the world with my poor excuse of a life!
The love of my life left me, left me with a note that said 'stay cool'. He had surrounded me with fake love and security. Convincing me that my best choice in life was to discharge from the military (after eight years of service) and be a stay at home mum to our children. I obliged. I loved him and I believed he loved me. I ask you, what would you have done??
So it turns out he never loved our children or myself. He left, never to be heard from since (eight months ago). I was left with combined debts totalling $180k. His not an Australian citizen meaning I am responsible for this debt. I have no income and two children. Is bankruptcy my only option?
Please help me, I have tried to stay composed and in control, I have tried to reinlist (not targets for fy 12/13), i have tried to find employment. I have a casual job, however I am not covering the loan repayments! I am begging for your help, please help me. I constantly ask myself 'how could i not have seen this coming??' but i loved him, i loved him so much. He was a professional on a good income and we had a family together. Was it wrong of me to feel secure. Was my choices considered normal, would you have done things differently?

Love story that actually came true. My husband and I were high school sweethearts at Mascoutah High School. Both of our dads were in the military and we lost track of one another. It took 27 years for us to find one another. We were both still in love with one another after all the years we were apart. We found one another again on face book. I moved from TX and gave up a good career to move back to Mascoutah so we could be together.

We had quite a bit of money saved up but after moving here I have had a hard time finding a full time job. I took what I could just to keep money coming in but it is only part time and pays less than half of what I was making. My husband was disabled and awaiting a liver transplant so he only had social security disability for income.

Our dream was to buy a house in Mascoutah after I found a good job but unfortunately we never got to live out that dream. 6 months after moving here his health went downhill. We used all our savings to pay rent, utilities and medical bills for him going in and out of the hospital on a regular basis. No matter how many jobs I have applied for no one even calls to give me the opportunity to interview.

After all these years we finally got married September 30, 2011. This was our dream come true. We were really looking forward to spending the rest of our lives together but unfortunately that did not happen. My husband became really ill and passed away December 8, 2011.

He was so worried about me being taken care of and he thought I would continue to get his social security disability money if something did happen to him but I knew I wouldn't and I didn't have the heart to tell him that I wouldn't. I am only 46 and I would have to be 60 to qualify for his benefits. I am just happy that he passed away thinking that I would be taken care of.

I used the last little bit of savings to pay toward his funeral expenses and I was fortunate enough to raise some money by having a trivia night in his honor. I have enough money to pay the rent for February but no money for any other bills such as utilities or any remaining funeral expenses or to even buy a headstone for him. I also have a 21 year old son that I have been putting through college and now I have no way to help him continue his education.

I rarely eat or sleep worrying about how I will survive on my own and ending up on the street homeless. Some days I wish the good lord would have just taken me at the same time because I feel so lost and alone and I lost my one and only true love.


I have never had to ask anyone for money and I feel ashamed that I am but I really want to live out our dream of buying a house in Mascoutah one day but the most important thing right now is finding a way to survive without becoming homeless. I have no one else to turn to.
Michael O. Cortez, born Friday, Oct. 18, 1963, died Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011, at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Belleville, IL. Survived by his wife, Wanda Cortez of Mascoutah, IL. This information can be verified by: Kurrus Funeral Home 1773 Frank Scott Parkway West, Belleville, IL 62223 (618)235-2100.

You don't know how much this means to me and I would so greatly appreciate it if anyone can find it in their heart to help me. I am trying to hang in there and I am really hoping to have some kind of future to look forward to. I have worked so hard all my life and I don’t want to give up on everything that I have worked so hard for.

God Bless you all and words cannot even begin to describe how much your help would be greatly appreciated.