Blessings to all who are on this site, either to give assistance or to ask for it. These are challenging times for many of us, but it's good to know that there are people who will respond and give to those in need of help.
My story is complex, and I will try to be as brief as possible. I am a single mother of 4 and also a grandmother of 3. I am more fortunate than many, I suppose, in that I have a college degreee, a job, a home and a car. My family is also fortunate in that we live in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Western NC. Even in the most difficult times, there is healing and comfort that comes from the vibrancy of nature in the place we live. For that, I am most grateful.
In May of this year, I was fired from a relatively well-paying job due to my being vocal about certain questionable business practices. It was a relief to be out of a situation in which I felt as if my morals were compromised on a daily basis, but I knew that I would have to take some cut in pay becuase mental health jobs usually do not pay well, unless one has an advanced degree or is in an upper level position. (We don't get into this field for the money.) The day I was fired, I went to the unemployment office and discovered that it could take up to six weeks to get benefits. I then called a former supervisor at an agency where |I sometimes worked to fill-in for regular employees on weekends. My intention was to let her know that I would be available during the week, since I no longer had my "9-5." She told me that she had some positions open, and I was hired for a weekend positon that gave me full time pay and full time benefits. The only problem with this was the agency is a non-profit and my current salalry is about 1/3 of my former salary. My intention was to find a part time mental-health professional position at another agency on the weekdays. This would not have been difficult, and it would have allowed me to make ends meet.
My plans were put on hold, however, becuase of an almost unbelivebale difficulties and family trauma. (They say that when it rains, it pours.) To shorten the story and spare you the nightmarish details, I will tell you that I had to intervene in 2 emergency situations with 2 of my adult children, One of these situations was life-or death, and I basically found myself having to devote most of my time and energy to helping a son who was in a "fatal-attraction" type of situation. The resolutuon took about 3 weeks, during which I was unable to attend very well to the practical aspects of life. My bank account was already strained beacuse of the reduction in income. It went really far into the negative and things began to spiral down rapidly. Now that the storm has cleared, I find myself unable to make my mortgage and car payment. Most of my other bills for June were paid, as were some for July, but I need assistance to be able to reverse the downward spiral before my family's security is threatened.
I have sent out resumes, have made some phone calls and am confident that I will have another job within the next few weeks. Right now, however, I am asking that some kind soul, or souls help me to get back on my feet. When I am able to, I will contribute toward helping someone else. My house and car payments together total about $1100. If I am able to keep from falling further behind on these, I can work my way back to a stable place and take care of the rest. I can supply professional and personal references, and more detailed information, when requested. Any amount that can be contributed toward this will be appreciated.
Peace, Indijah.
