I am a proud United States Navy veteran and a dedicated single father to two wonderful children. After an abusive marriage ended in 2019, I was left burdened with nearly $100,000 in marital debt—all in my name—because I couldn't afford legal representation. A lengthy custody battle forced me into bankruptcy in 2021, but since then, I've fought relentlessly to rebuild our lives and secure a stable future.

I've poured everything into creating a better home for my kids, working tirelessly—full-time plus every overtime shift available—to pay down debts and position myself for a VA home loan. I'm so close to achieving that dream of buying our generational home, a place where my children can finally have security and space of their own. The last major obstacle is my vehicle loan, where I'm upside down by $15,000 due to negative equity rolled over from the marriage.

In December 2024, skyrocketing housing costs in our area priced us out of our apartment, displacing us and forcing me to rent a single room from kind friends just to aggressively tackle remaining debts and boost my VA loan prequalification. This temporary setup is far from ideal—cramped, unstable, and heartbreaking for my kids, who desperately deserve their own rooms, privacy, and a real home after everything we've endured.

I'm not someone who easily asks for help. I've always been self-reliant, serving my country and going out of my way to support others—that's why I'm only now, in my 40s, chasing my first homeownership milestone. With no local family support and minimal help from my ex despite her higher income, my options are extremely limited. I just need one final push—a helping hand to cover that $15,000 gap—so I can eliminate the car payment without harming my credit, qualify for the mortgage, and provide my children the stable, loving home they so urgently need.

Any assistance, no matter the amount, would be an incredible blessing and life-changing gift for our family. It would allow us to cross the finish line, turn the page on these hardships, and build the future my kids deserve. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for considering our story—your generosity could make all the difference.