Hello, my name is Michelle. I’m a single mom, a full-time teacher, and now the primary caregiver for my extended family. Life took an unexpected turn, and I’m humbly asking for help to get a reliable car so I can continue to care for my family.

A little over a year ago, my husband completely abandoned us — no calls, no visits, no support of any kind. We know he’s alive, but that’s all we know. Around the same time, my sister was no longer able to care for her two children, so I took in my niece and nephew to give them the stability they deserve. They had already experienced the pain of being let down by their parents, and I couldn’t let them go through that again.

To help the kids transition, I also moved my mom in with us. She’s on SSI, which helps a little, but it’s not enough to cover her expenses. Now, I’m a single mom caring for a family of six—my two kids, my niece and nephew, and my mom.

I’m a teacher, and while I love my job, it doesn’t stretch far with rising prices, grocery costs, and insurance. When my ex quit his job, I had to add all the kids to my insurance—an extra $1,000 a month in premiums. I Uber and DoorDash after work and on weekends to help make ends meet.

Recently, things took a turn for the worse when my car was repossessed because I fell behind on payments. Living in a rural area with no public transportation, I’ve been renting cars on Turo just to get to work, take the kids to school, and get groceries. It’s costing me more than I can keep up with, and without a car, I can’t work or care for my family.

I’ve cut every corner I can—we no longer eat out, and I only buy food for meals. The kids had to give up all their activities (swimming, gymnastics, and soccer). They never complain, but I can see in their eyes how much they miss it. Every so often they ask, “When can we go back to our activities?” and it breaks my heart.

I’m asking for $3,000 to buy a reliable cash car. With your help, I could stop renting cars and use that money to keep providing for my family. I’ve done everything I can—worked hard, went to college, built a career—but life has a way of testing us.

If you can help, know that every dollar means stability, safety, and hope for my kids. Even sharing this campaign means the world to us.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read our story and for any help you can give.

With gratitude,

Michelle