Help Me Build a Retirement While Caring for Mom

My name is Elie Fany, a Christian man, and I am 58 years old. I never imagined that at this stage of my life I would be reaching out to strangers and asking for financial help, but I have reached a point where I feel I need to swallow my pride and ask.

I am self-employed and work as a mortgage loan professional from my home office. I have worked hard for many years, but the mortgage business has become extremely unpredictable. Business has been slow, and loans are few and far between. Some months there is income, while other months there may be little or nothing coming in.

Working from home also creates another challenge. My home is my office, but I cannot realistically have a steady flow of clients coming into my home, which makes building the business even more difficult.

At the same time, I am the primary caregiver for my 89-year-old mother, who is recovering from a broken hip. She has no income of her own and is completely dependent upon me, both physically and financially. I am grateful that I am able to be there for her, and I consider caring for my mother a responsibility and a privilege. But it has also made my financial situation much more difficult.

I do have some savings, but those savings represent essentially my entire financial cushion. I have no retirement account, investments, or other meaningful source of financial security to fall back on. With rent of $2,630 per month, along with food, utilities, insurance, transportation, my mother's needs, business expenses, and the other costs of everyday life, I know that my savings can disappear much faster than I would like.

The hardest part for me to say is this:

I have no retirement savings.

At 58 years old, that is frightening.

I am not married, and I don't have a spouse who will be there to help support me as I get older. I am trying to continue working, take care of my mother, and somehow prepare for my own future at the same time.

That is why I am asking for help.

My goal is not to live an extravagant lifestyle. I am simply trying to create a financial foundation for my later years so that I don't reach retirement age with nothing.

I would like to establish and fund a retirement account and continue contributing to it as I am able. The money raised through this fundraiser will be used to help establish that retirement foundation and provide greater financial security for my future.

I want to continue working and contributing toward my own retirement, but I need help getting started.

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If you are able and willing to contribute, no amount is too small. A $10, $25, $50, or $100 contribution may not seem like much by itself, but if enough people are willing to help, those small acts of generosity can make a tremendous difference.

And if you cannot contribute financially, I completely understand. Simply sharing my story with someone else would mean a great deal to me.

I know there are countless people in the world who are facing difficult circumstances, and I don't believe I am more deserving of help than anyone else. I'm simply asking for an opportunity to build a little security for my future while I continue doing what I can to work, provide for my mother, and take responsibility for the years ahead.

I've spent much of my life trying to take care of other people and make things work on my own.

Now I'm asking for a little help taking care of my future, too.

If you choose to support me, please know that your generosity would mean far more than just a financial contribution. It would give me hope that I can continue caring for my mother while also creating a future where I won't have to live with the fear of reaching my later years with nothing saved.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Thank you for any support you are able to give, and thank you even more for simply sharing this with someone who might be willing to help.

With sincere gratitude,

Elie Fany