🌟 It’s moments like these that truly test our hearts and redefine what it means to be ìresilient. I’m Kristen, a now single mother of three vibrant souls, Mckenzie (10) and Isaiah (8), along with my nephew Joseph, 16, who was born with cerebral palsy. The past year has been nothing short of tumultuous for us—it began with the devestating news that my husband, and the kids Dad, Carl, had multiple myeloma and heart failure, that ultimately led to his death within months of the diagnosis, a tragedy that left an indelible mark on all our lives. Not only was Carl a magnificent Dad and Husband, but he was a Paramedic and Firefighter for over 20 years. Unfortunately, because he worked at two Part Time departments, he had no type of pension or life insurance and the kids and I were left with nothing but heartache. As if coping with grief, and learning how to be a single mom wasn’t hard enough, life threw another curveball in when I was injured at work, leaving me unable to even stand for several months. Bills are piling up, and each day it seems I am more behind. We are scraping by and barely making ends meet.

At a time when my kids need my strength and resilience, things have become a heavy burden on my shoulders and I struggle to find any semblance of strength my children. Despite their innocence and resilience, the weight of our circumstances is starting to show and Im quickly running out of ways to make ends meet. Our electric and waterbbill are overdue, we are scheduled for disconnect of our electricity tomorrow, and disconnect of our water this upcoming week. The car payment is 2 months behind and will be repossessed if payment is not made by Monday. You might not be able to change our past hardships or bring back those we’ve lost but you can make a difference for the kids and I, despite all odds stacked against us at this time. Your kindness gives me hope that even in these darkest times, light will always find its way through—a truth I desperately want to instill in my children as they navigate their own paths ahead.

So here’s where you come back into the story: If it resonates with your heartstrings, if you feel touched by our tale of doing our best to be resilient and strong amidst adversity, please consider helping us make things a little easier despite the loss of Carl. Every bit helps—be it a dollar or gift card to grab some essentials, anything will help. Your donations are tokens of love showing that despite the storm clouds gathering over us, there are still stars lighting up our sky with kindness and compassion.

Thank you for being part of our story.