"I'm not ashamed to say I'm struggling"—Karina's Story
The month so many are dreading is finally here.
Thousands in our community are out of work, have no income, and can’t pay their rent, and the eviction moratorium ends at the end of May. Will the city extend it? Will there be some kind of debt forgiveness or a payment plan?
It’s still unclear what help will be offered, but one thing is very clear: if nothing is done, it could mean painful days ahead for countless neighbors.
Karina is one of those.
A working single mother, Karina had a thriving business as a freelance contractor before COVID. After the virus, clients became more difficult to find and the government refused to provide financial aid to contractors. Her taxes are totally up to date, but as of this writing she still hasn’t received anything (and not for lack of trying). She was able to borrow some money and we helped with a portion of her rent in April, but May is here and she’s back to square one.
What would you do?
At one point in our conversation, Karina asked simple, honest questions: “How is this my fault? Why should I be blamed for this? What else could I have done”
She’s right. She works hard and did everything she was told to do to be successful, but the virus still cut her legs out from under her. The only response by community members like us should be support and creatively working to care for her and others like her—because this community shows up for those most at-risk, and hard working single parents are at the top of that list.
Thankfully, there are people raising their hands to offer support.
You guys continue to amaze us with your generosity!
When you think about how many people need help, it would be easy to throw up our hands and admit defeat. Don’t get discouraged! We can’t solve everything about this crisis, but we can commit to supporting one another in as many small ways as possible, and it makes a difference.
We wait and hope the government will act on a larger scale, but we also refuse to sit around. That’s why we’re asking the community to donate. Every dollar you give helps keep our community safely in their homes and fed. Small grants will be given out to help cover all or some of a struggling household’s rent for one month, or we’ll put your gift toward delivering food to elderly, chronically ill, or home bound seniors.
Karina isn’t unlike any of us. Any one of us could be in her shoes (and many are), so let’s help! She ended our conversation with this:
“I’m not ashamed to say I’m struggling because this isn’t my fault. I’ve worked hard and have always been independent. I’ve taken care of myself and my child and other family members and I did everything I could.”
We honor her and others in the community like her, and we refuse to quit.
Join the community in showing up for your neighbors by donating below.