My name is Stephen Austin. I am a husband, a father of two, and I work full-time in manufacturing/industrial work. I am starting this fundraiser because my family has reached a point where several financial pressures have stacked up at once, and we are trying to get back on stable ground before things get worse.

This is not easy for me to ask. I believe in working hard, taking care of my family, and doing everything I can before asking others for help. But inflation, medical expenses, car trouble, home repairs, and debt have created a spiral that has become harder and harder to climb out of.

One of the biggest challenges our family has faced is my wife’s battle with Crohn’s disease. Crohn’s is expensive to treat, and it has led to many hospital visits over the years. Between medical bills, ongoing care, and the everyday cost of trying to keep our household moving, the financial pressure has become overwhelming. It has gotten to the point where I am close to taking out another loan just to buy groceries, and I do not want to keep digging the hole deeper if there is another way forward.

We are asking for help with practical needs that would make a real difference for our family.

Our goal is to raise $26,000, which would help cover:

$1,000 for school clothes and supplies for our two children before school starts in August

$2,500 for car repairs, including brakes, a power steering line, air vent/AC work, and a window actuator replacement

$4,000 for needed home repairs, including roof replacement, outside septic work, and a new circuit box and breakers

$15,000 toward debt and bills, including personal loans, car loans, medical debt, and car loans

$2,000 for an emergency cushion and a small family reset after the most urgent needs are handled

Any funds raised will go toward the essentials first: school needs for the kids, transportation, home repairs, medical expenses, and getting caught up on debt and bills. If we are blessed enough to reach the goal, anything beyond the urgent needs would help us build a small cushion so we are not one emergency away from falling behind again.

I know many families are struggling right now, so I do not ask lightly. If you are able to give, any amount would help. If you cannot give, sharing this fundraiser or praying for us would mean more than you know.

I will post updates as we make progress and show how the money is being used, whether that is school supplies bought, repairs scheduled, bills paid down, medical costs handled, or steps taken to get our family back on solid footing.

Thank you for reading this, for caring, for sharing, for praying, and for helping our family through this season. We are deeply grateful.