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"How can the rich help the poor?" you may ask. Here's how. I'm a poor minister, currently working in a factory. I drive an old, rusty 1985 Chevy Citation. My mechanic tells me I need a newer car right away but I don't have any money for one. It's so rusty the frame has cracked. It's literally being held together with a wire and chain so the frame doesn't rub on a back tire and give me a flat. And I need this to drive 12 miles and back to work every day to keep my paychecks coming in and for my ministry activities. And now the transmission is starting to go too. I can get a newer one right now for $5,000 that would last me for years but have no money and bad credit. So if you're asking the question, "How can the rich help the poor?" here's how. Mail a check or money order for all or any part of the money I need, anything will help, to:
Brother Roger Bovee
PO Box 404
Wautoma, WI 54982 USA

Or if you prefer, you can donate immediately to my Paypal account by clicking on the Paypal "Donate" button in orange below. Please take action right now and I know that God will bless you now and for eternity for it. Thanks and God bless you!

How can I help the poor and needy people? you may ask. I'll tell you how. I'm a poor minister, currently working in a factory. I drive an old, rusty 1985 Chevy Citation. My mechanic tells me I need a newer car right away but I don't have any money for one. It's so rusty the frame has cracked. It's literally being held together with a wire and chain so the frame doesn't rub on a back tire and give me a flat. And I need this to drive 12 miles and back to work every day to keep my paychecks coming in and for my ministry activities. And now the transmission is starting to go too. I can get a newer one right now for $5,000 that would last me for years but have no money and bad credit. So if you're asking the question, "How can I help the poor and needy people?" here's how. Mail a check or money order for all or any part of the money I need, anything will help, to:
Brother Roger Bovee
PO Box 404
Wautoma, WI 54982 USA

Or if you prefer, you can donate immediately to my Paypal account by clicking on the Paypal "Donate" button in orange below. Please take action right now and I know that God will bless you now and for eternity for it. Thanks and God bless you!

Read my charity evaluation of the best charity to donate to. I need to raise seed money and startup capital to start my business. I'm planning on becoming a binary options investor according to this website: http://www.60secondprofits.com/system/. This is a great binary options system explained by ex-stock broker turned independent trader Keith Jones. The basis of this free strategy centers around 60 second options, something that very few binary options platforms offer. The strategy is very sound, and what he shows you is how you follow a trend in the EUR/USD forex market and use a progressive buying strategy to capitalise on the small currency fluctuations over a .5 decimal base over the period of just 1 minute, so you can earn money from binary options very quickly indeed. Keith claims that this strategy has a 100% success rate (he averages $80 to $150 an hour profits).

Whilst testing out this free binary options system over a period of 5 days a reviewer was able to generate an impressive $6200 from a starting trade of just $5 and a bank of just $300. Quite impressive stuff I think you will agree. So what I need is $300 seed money and startup capital to get started. You can donate all or any part of this to my Paypal account by hitting the Donate link below. Or you could mail your donation to:

Brother Roger Bovee
PO Box 404
Wautoma, WI 54982

Thanks for helping because I really need the added income to provide for my ministry!

Some moths ago, I came home from a normal day at work, happy to see my two little boys (Josh 3 and Liam 4 months) and what I used to consider my better half. I walked in to find the house empty - no note, no indication of what had happened. I toyed around with calling the police, but it was clear this wasn't a missing persons case, or a robbery or anything else other than what it was. Everything was gone. Phone disconnected, bank accounts cleared out, credit cards closed. Suddenly it was me, the house and the car and nothing else. After a few days of searching, talking to family, friends and yes even filing a police report - not they cared much - I discovered I had been dumped for a guy my wife had been seeing for months. We has only just signed the lease less than a month before, and I thought we were really happy together. There were no signs - nothing that I saw at least. This really isn't the part that hurts, I can live with all this; it's her life and her decision. What really hurts is not seeing my boys.

During the first few days I didn't work, too busy trying to piece together what had gone on and why and how it had come to this right under my nose. The rent still needed to be paid, even though the house was unfurnished and too big for me alone. I was (and still am) locked into the lease! Problem number one.

Problem number two is rather more complex. Last Friday I received two letters. The first from a solicitor (our version of what you would call a lawyer) informing me of divorce proceedings and the second was sent a letter from the Child Support Agency informing me my wife is seeking child support payments from me. Now, I'm no deadbeat dad! I think all parents should pay for their children's needs but here I am - rent on a house I don't need, no furniture (some friends have lent me a TV and cooking utensils and a couch), no money to contest the proceedings and on top of that she wants me to pay child support while she's shacked up and living a 'normal' life with my boys, whom I haven't seen since.

I've seen a solicitor who advised me he wouldn't bill me for the first meeting - we talked about the situation, and what he could do from here... It requires more than I have, to achieve what I want and what I think is fair! All I want to do is split our assets 60/40 her favour (she has the kids). Get out of this lease that I'm legally locked into, and get shared custody of my beautiful little boys. Problem is she has the assets and without a court order to either return a portion to me or divest herself of some of the assets so I can be compensated, I can't pay a solicitor and barrister to get the money to do all this. Once it's all settled I'll happily pay my child support requirements, see my boys and leave her out of my life, seeing that's what she wants.

My solicitor has told me I could be up for as much as $10,000, but $6000 should be a good starting point. His firm wont proceed without knowing they'll be paid - fair enough, but what's a man to do in this situation?

I am literally begging for $6000. I haven't wanted for anything in my life - I've always worked and worked hard for what I had, but when it's all taken away from you, you realise how vulnerable we all are. I'm pledging that whatever I receive from this site that's not used in the case, I will pay forward, to another needy soul from this site. Please help... My heart and thanks, and that of my boys will go out to you.

Update: 6th Jan 2012. I've managed to get the proceedings heard at a later date, due to my personal situation. But nothing has changed. I still don't have the funds to fight this and to date not one response to my plea for help. I'm begging - literally for some assistance. I haven't seen my boys since December and I can't fight this without your help.

Update: 25th May 2012
I have nothing to fight her with. No funds, no will and no motivation. The house has been re-leased and the owner has started legal proceedings against me, I have nothing but what she left me. I am trying my hardest to provide some money for my two kids - that I haven't seen since December. I can't go on like this. No-one can!

My daughter had heart surgery last year and I want to treat her to a sport that will teach her competitiveness, help her self esteem, allow her to have fun, and exercise her heart. Her surgery happened while I was in school and was very sick myself with Crohns disease a year ago. We were so bad off, I had to borrow money for gas to get her to the hospital. It was quite a humbling and intensely challenging past 2 years for her and I. Her surgery was successful. I have finished school and will be starting my new Job as an EMT June 11! I am also currently in new recruit training for a volunteer firefighter/ EMT position which will give me valuable experience for a paid position some day. It will also give me the opportunity to serve others. I personally love to help others and have done a LOT in the past when I could. I doubt this will be seen, but, A dad can have his dreams.

I am losing my home and have had my gas cut off. I was too ill to work for over a year. Quite honestly, I am losing it all. We have each other (My daughter and I) and improving health. During the process of losing her home, I want to have her my daughter pre-occupied with good thoughts. I want her to see that life will go on. She loves playing tennis, but I am financially unable at the time to help her pursue the sport. I would like to do it with her to build the father daughter bond and help myself get in shape to volunteer for my fire department.

Below is a link to a wish list of items we need. Were not asking for exacts. It's just what we picked out that we saw online. http://amzn.com/w/W4M5DEBQ0C1N . We would appreciate any help. Prayers are welcome as well!

Just two weeks ago we got the word from the Feds that my daughter would have to begin paying off her education debt to the tune of $1,533.00 per month. This is to bring down a total debt amount of $200,000 + dollars.

Yes, that's $200,000 dollars!! What??? While they are working to determine if this is actually the amount owed, she still has to pay this money back starting on May 28, 2012.

Unfortunately, she is not a doctor, attorney, or any other vocation that allows her to have this kind of money to pay this humongous bill. She is a social worker who makes about $33,000 per year. Although she could seek to get another part-time job her current job does not allow her to do that. Her working hours are 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. many nights (with no overtime - that sucks!!). Last night she did not get home until midnight only to have to be back at work at 8:00 a.m. this morning.

I so want to help her but I am unable to do so at this time because I am retired and am receiving a very small fixed income. I am looking for work myself so that I can help out. In the meantime however, the first payment is due May 28 and I'm (we're) desperate to get some help.

So please, whatever you can share to help her in this dire need would be most appreciated. And, if there is someone who could pay one or two months forward on this, we would surely be forever grateful and thankful for your generous gift.

I will be adding my two cents worth just as soon as I get a job. In the meantime though, whatever you can send to help her pay this bill on Monday, May 28 would help to take some of the pressure off.

You see, if that money is not in the bank by then, they will garnish her next check which means that she won't be able to keep her place to live and her car to get to work. No car - no work. She lives in a rural area and has to drive to get to work. There is no public transportation available and the beat goes on. If she has No place to live - she then becomes a social worker in need of services herself. That would be messy and wouldn't allow her to keep her job. So whatever financial help you can provide will be very much appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your generous heart and donations.

Thankful Receiver

I'm sure that on this site you've heard every sad story in the book. All I have for you is the truth. My two daughters are 5 yrs old and 9 yrs old. The youngest will soon be starting 1st grade and the oldest will soon be starting 4th grade. My wife and I decided from the very beginning that if at all possible we did not want them to have to go to public school because of all of the negative influences. We do our best to raise our children in a healthy christian environment so they will grow up to be productive citizens and not "victims" of society. To make a long story short, it takes $6000 per year to keep our children in private school. This past year was a tough year for our family (like many americans) and we were not able to keep up our tuition payments. We currently owe $4300 for the school year that has just ended. If this balance is not satisfied by August, our children will not be able to start back to school and we will be forced to place them in public school. My wife and I are not lazy and we do both work full-time jobs. It just happened that we were unable to meet these payments due to other pressing debts. Any help at all would be appreciated and I'm sure that you will be blessed many times in return.

Hi,
I recently filed for bankruptcy and got my discharge like 2 months ago. Since my discharge I had a sezuire at work and had to be rushed to the hospital (Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL. I had no health insurance at the time and recieved a $7,209 hospital bill stay from them. I'm really sad that this happened to me due to the fact I had finally got out of debt and now after spending like $1,500 on filing for BK, now I'm back in the whole...I wanted to try to buy a home in 2 years after my BK and now unless I pay this off, that will probably not happen for my daughter and I. Also, its not the only debt that I have after BK, I couldn't include my student loans in my BK, so I have like $11,000 in sallie mae loans for school. I am asking for help with my hospital bill, so it would truly be a blessing if anyone out there had extra money and could help me pay this bill, I would greatly appriciate it! I am going to start paying little monthly payments on my student loans to try to get that down little by little. If someone is seriuosly wanting to help me, we can communicate through email and I would gladly give you my medical bill info and their number, so you wouldnt feel like you were being lied to or anything, I already feel akward asking for help over the internet, but what can I do? Also I will be getting health insurance starting in June through my job, so I should never run into this issue ever again! Thanks in advance to anyone that can help!

I need to raise seed money and startup capital to start my business. I'm planning on becoming a binary options investor according to this website: http://www.60secondprofits.com/system/. This is a great binary options system explained by ex-stock broker turned independent trader Keith Jones. The basis of this free strategy centers around 60 second options, something that very few binary options platforms offer. The strategy is very sound, and what he shows you is how you follow a trend in the EUR/USD forex market and use a progressive buying strategy to capitalise on the small currency fluctuations over a .5 decimal base over the period of just 1 minute, so you can earn money from binary options very quickly indeed. Keith claims that this strategy has a 100% success rate (he averages $80 to $150 an hour profits).

Whilst testing out this free binary options system over a period of 5 days a reviewer was able to generate an impressive $6200 from a starting trade of just $5 and a bank of just $300. Quite impressive stuff I think you will agree. So what I need is $300 seed money and startup capital to get started. You can donate all or any part of this to my Paypal account by hitting the Donate link below. Thanks for helping because I really need the added income!

Well we have an eviction notice and we need a thousand dollars or we will be evicted, please help us, i am accepting donations starting at any amount, doesnt matter how small, any little bit helps.

I have 2 kids, and my husband works his butt off but we couldnt make ends meet this month, we had to pay past due electric bills or it was going to be cut off :(
please help us. i am not one to beg but i have called over 20 organizations and all my friends and no one is willing to help us :( please i beg of you dont let my children end up with a roof over their heads.

I am a single mother of four and eight months pregnant. I lost my job in Jan. due to "too many call-ins" I was a busser at a sophisticated buffet in a Casino therefore could not lift anymore heavy bus tubs. It was starting to harm my baby. As a result of me having to be call in to go to doctor's appointments and check-ups, I was terminated. I've been seeking other employment although it is difficult for anyone to hire due to I am at my Last month. At this time I am help for my rent. Today is the 20th of May & I will probably be evicted in 2 days. I have never asked for help. In this case, I have four innocent children who will be thrown out to the street. I beg in the name of Jesus for help please. There is a GOD and HE will surely see all good deeds! Please and Thank you very much!!!

Hi, Im Tracy and Im 33. I have 2 children and im a single parent. I was born with knee problems and recently had surgery on both knees which did not help me and now I need knee replacement surgery. My job does not offer short term disability insurance and I already used my sick/vacation time up on the last surgery. I currently cant work more than 2 hours at a time so I really need to get this surgery ASAP. Im looking for any donations that I can get to help with every day expenses. I do have health insurance that will pay most of the surgery but im worried about how my family will survive when Im off 6 to 8 weeks or longer. Really starting to stress out over it. Thanks for you time

Hi, Im Tracy and Im 33. I have 2 children and im a single parent. I was born with knee problems and recently had surgery on both knees which did not help me and now I need knee replacement surgery. My job does not offer short term disability insurance and I already used my sick/vacation time up on the last surgery. I currently cant work more than 2 hours at a time so I really need to get this surgery ASAP. Im looking for any donations that I can get to help with every day expenses. I do have health insurance that will pay most of the surgery but im worried about how my family will survive when Im off 6 to 8 weeks or longer. Really starting to stress out over it. Thanks for you time

Hi, Im Tracy and Im 33. I have 2 children and im a single parent. I was born with knee problems and recently had surgery on both knees which did not help me and now I need knee replacement surgery. My job does not offer short term disability insurance and I already used my sick/vacation time up on the last surgery. I currently cant work more than 2 hours at a time so I really need to get this surgery ASAP. Im looking for any donations that I can get to help with every day expenses. I do have health insurance that will pay most of the surgery but im worried about how my family will survive when Im off 6 to 8 weeks or longer. Really starting to stress out over it. Thanks for you time.

Basically I need help with my rent. My daughters father use to abuse me and finally I did something about it. The reason I ddnt do anything about it is because I knew I would be in this situation. I did not depend on him until I couldnt work for maternity reasons as well as wanting to care for my daughter in her first moments of life. Now I am back working, I dont have enough money or time for my baby. However this leaves me short for rent and basically everything else but I cant lose our roof. I have nowhere else to go. I also figure it'll cost me more by getting evicted, losing my security deposit and starting over(for new apt).I can handle going without everything else, I could also handle going without this apartment if it was just me but its not. This brings me to the "begging" part...so I basically I would well my daughter and I would really appriciate anything at this point, even if its just advice on where else to go(trust ive been everywhere except stripping)as far where I could get immediate help.
If it matters I am 24 with no family except my 14month daughter all I want to do is live a good happy life at this point. I just got my mid life crisis early. I never thought in a million years I would be a domestic violence victim with a child(my daughter at that)involved, then in a situation like this...basically could be homeless in a matter of days, but working my behind off and still not making enough, never.....never would I or knew how to prepare for this, its jus all crazy.So again we would both appriciate anything.

Basically I need help with my rent. My daughters father use to abuse me and finally I did something about it. The reason I ddnt do anything about it is because I knew I would be in this situation. I did not depend on him until I couldnt work for maternity reasons as well as wanting to care for my daughter in her first moments of life. Now I am back working, I dont have enough money or time for my baby. However this leaves me short for rent and basically everything else but I cant lose our roof. I have nowhere else to go. I also figure it'll cost me more by getting evicted, losing my security deposit and starting over(for new apt).I can handle going without everything else, I could also handle going without this apartment if it was just me but its not. This brings me to the "begging" part...so I basically I would well my daughter and I would really appriciate anything at this point, even if its just advice on where else to go(trust ive been everywhere except stripping)as far where I could get immediate help.
****If it matters I am 24 with no family except my 14month daughter all I want to do is live a good happy life at this point. I just got my mid life crisis early. I never thought in a million years I would be a domestic violence victim with a child(my daughter at that)involved, then in a situation like this...basically could be homeless in a matter of days, but working my behind off and still not making enough, never.....never would I or knew how to prepare for this, its jus all crazy.So again we would both appriciate anything.

Basically I need help with my rent. My daughters father use to abuse me and finally I did something about it. The reason I ddnt do anything about it is because I knew I would be in this situation. I did not depend on him until I couldnt work for maternity reasons as well as wanting to care for my daughter in her first moments of life. Now I am back working, I dont have enough money or time for my baby. However this leaves me short for rent and basically everything else but I cant lose our roof. I have nowhere else to go. I also figure it'll cost me more by getting evicted, losing my security deposit and starting over(for new apt).I can handle going without everything else, I could also handle going without this apartment if it was just me but its not. This brings me to the "begging" part...so I basically I would well my daughter and I would really appriciate anything at this point, even if its just advice on where else to go(trust ive been everywhere except stripping)as far where I could get immediate help.
If it matters I am 24 with no family except my 14month daughter all I want to do is live a good happy life at this point. I just got my mid life crisis early. I never thought in a million years I would be a domestic violence victim with a child(my daughter at that)involved, then in a situation like this...basically could be homeless in a matter of days, but working my behind off and still not making enough, never.....never would I or knew how to prepare for this, its jus all crazy.So again we would both appriciate anything.

Basically I need help with my rent. My daughters father use to abuse me and finally I did something about it. The reason I ddnt do anything about it is because I knew I would be in this situation. I did not depend on him until I couldnt work for maternity reasons as well as wanting to care for my daughter in her first moments of life. Now I am back working, I dont have enough money or time for my baby. However this leaves me short for rent and basically everything else but I cant lose our roof. I have nowhere else to go. I also figure it'll cost me more by getting evicted, losing my security deposit and starting over(for new apt).I can handle going without everything else, I could also handle going without this apartment if it was just me but its not. This brings me to the "begging" part...so I basically I would well my daughter and I would really appriciate anything at this point, even if its just advice on where else to go(trust ive been everywhere except stripping)as far where I could get immediate help.
If it matters I am 24 with no family except my 14month daughter all I want to do is live a good happy life at this point. I just got my mid life crisis early. I never thought in a million years I would be a domestic violence victim with a child(my daughter at that)involved, then in a situation like this...basically could be homeless in a matter of days, but working my behind off and still not making enough, never.....never would I or knew how to prepare for this, its jus all crazy.So again we would both appriciate anything.

Basically I need help with my rent. My daughters father use to abuse me and finally I did something about it. The reason I ddnt do anything about it is because I knew I would be in this situation. I did not depend on him until I couldnt work for maternity reasons as well as wanting to care for my daughter in her first moments of life. Now I am back working, I dont have enough money or time for my baby. However this leaves me short for rent and basically everything else but I cant lose our roof. I have nowhere else to go. I also figure it'll cost me more by getting evicted, losing my security deposit and starting over(for new apt).I can handle going without everything else, I could also handle going without this apartment if it was just me but its not. This brings me to the "begging" part...so I basically I would well my daughter and I would really appriciate anything at this point, even if its just advice on where else to go(trust ive been everywhere except stripping)as far where I could get immediate help.
***If it matters I am 24 with no family except my 14month daughter all I want to do is live a good happy life at this point. I just got my mid life crisis early. I never thought in a million years I would be a domestic violence victim with a child(my daughter at that)involved, then in a situation like this...basically could be homeless in a matter of days, but working my behind off and still not making enough, never.....never would I or knew how to prepare for this, its jus all crazy.So again we would both appriciate anything.

Basically I need help with my rent. My daughters father use to abuse me and finally I did something about it. The reason I ddnt do anything about it is because I knew I would be in this situation. I did not depend on him until I couldnt work for maternity reasons as well as wanting to care for my daughter in her first moments of life. Now I am back working, I dont have enough money or time for my baby. However this leaves me short for rent and basically everything else but I cant lose our roof. I have nowhere else to go. I also figure it'll cost me more by getting evicted, losing my security deposit and starting over(for new apt).I can handle going without everything else, I could also handle going without this apartment if it was just me but its not. This brings me to the "begging" part...so I basically I would well my daughter and I would really appriciate anything at this point, even if its just advice on where else to go(trust ive been everywhere except stripping)as far where I could get immediate help.
If it matters I am 24 with no family except my 14month daughter all I want to do is live a good happy life at this point. I just got my mid life crisis early. I never thought in a million years I would be a domestic violence victim with a child(my daughter at that)involved, then in a situation like this...basically could be homeless in a matter of days, but working my behind off and still not making enough, never.....never would I or knew how to prepare for this, its jus all crazy.So again we would both appriciate anything.

Hello,

I have never begged for money or help and to be completely honest I hate that I am sitting writing this now, I am normally the kind of person that just gets on and deals with a situation.

I have slipped into a seriously bad financial situation, I lost my job and have got myself into a cycle of payday loans I just cant control the situation anymore. I really need help and quickly.

I am becoming very depressed and have pretty much sold every thing I own to try and raise extra money, it is effecting my relationship and my family are starting to become effected too.

I need around $1000, this is to cover fuel and car expenses so I can get out and work when I can also hunt for a job as well as general living, any money I do get is given straight to payday lenders.

Any help at all will be massively appreciated, I know there are a lot of people in the world who have the means to help, although I am not expecting any donations I am desperate and you know what they say about desperate times.

I have not had new clothes in over a year, I don't socialize or go out anywhere, I just want my life back.


Thank you very much for taking the time to read my my story.

Help.....
I'm Wanting to Start my own Business, and have a sound business plan outlay and great direction, with Clients Booked in for July and Ready to Start My Adventure, I am Outlying Costs and unfortunately I cannot pay the bills feed my kids and Save the 2k required for Equipment. so I have chose the obvious at the moment Bills and kids.

but I would like to get myself ahead for once in my life.

and If you could make even a small donation it would be greatly appreciated, Starting Early July And Operating in Adelaide, South Australia.

With Thanks in Advance
James and Family

Hi, I was recently living in Cancun working and studying. Somebody starting stalking me and would break into my apartment whenever I was out. They stole my cameras, my computer, my clothes, my ipod. The last night that I was there they went in to try to do something to me. It was a traumatic experience and I decided to go home to Canada. However, now that I am here I have no job and no computer. I am job hunting but would really appreciate a donation to help me replace some of the stolen items. I also need to pay to have some of my stuff that is at a friends house in Mexico shipped to me here in Canada. Please help me! It would be greatly appreciated.

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.

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!

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