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Back on our feet: Melanie and a teenage son and a daughter in primary school in Fresno

Melanie and a teenage son and a daughter in primary school need a bridge to stability after a long illness.

🇺🇸 United States1,325 views
Melanie W. Gill
Email verified
Fresno
Since a long illness in August, I'm now raising a teenage son and a daughter in primary school on my own. I work as a hairdresser, but my income doesn't cover rent, childcare and groceries. I'm retraining as a medical coder in the evenings, which will triple my income by December, but I need to bridge the gap until then. Some weeks I skip meals so my children can eat. I have never asked anyone for help like this before, and I'm doing it for them. Once I finish my course, I'll pay it forward. Money goes toward rent, groceries, after-school care and the cost of my course. I'll give a monthly update with receipts. Where the $2,500 goes: • Childcare and after-school care: $910 • Course fees and exam costs: $420 • Rent top-up: $1,170 Thanks for reading all this. - Melanie
#single-parent#family#stability

Updates from Melanie

  1. Thank you all. We're at 26% now ($643). I'm honestly stunned. we've booked the dates and paid the deposit.

  2. Quick update: $363 raised so far (15%). I met with the landlord and confirmed the amounts. Receipts coming as soon as I have them.

Donations

RecentTop gifts
  • Kweku Kwaku Badu 🇬🇭 · $25
  • Kendall Rios 🇺🇸 · $50
  • Jepkoech Halima Urassa 🇰🇪 · $50

    “Be well. Thought of Melanie all day after reading this. - Nairobi”

  • Ahmed Amir Naguib 🇪🇸 · $20
  • Leah P. Carroll 🇺🇸 · $25

    “Happy to help. My brother told me about this one. - Bakersfield”

  • Allison Acosta 🇺🇸 · $75

    “Thought of Melanie all day after reading this. - Eugene”

  • Nuwan Kamal Amarasinghe 🇱🇰 · $20

    “Praying for you. - Galle”

  • Cristina H. Quintero 🇺🇸 · $60
  • Claire L. Morris 🇬🇧 · $25
  • Chirag C. Jadeja 🇮🇳 · $10

    “Wish I could do more. Thought of Melanie all day after reading this.”

  • Florence Manon Louis 🇫🇷 · $5
  • Charlotte Hélène Vidal 🇫🇷 · $5
  • Elias N. Weaver 🇺🇸 · $20
  • Ingrid Meijer 🇳🇱 · $200

    “Hope this helps. Shared with friends too. - Breda”

  • Anonymous 🇩🇪 · $50
  • Jackson K. Pearson 🇺🇸 · $50
  • Anonymous 🇳🇵 · $10
  • Lisa Jessica Bergmann 🇩🇪 · $10
  • Raju Rajesh Gautam 🇳🇵 · $15

    “Hang in there. My father told me about this one. - Kathmandu”

  • Swapna W. Patil 🇮🇳 · $25

Reviews

3.3(4 reviews)

Only people who gave to this need, or whose offer to help was accepted, can review it.

  • Lola Blessing Popoola🇳🇬Verified helper
    Patient and understanding

    This is what community support looks like. They didn't just offer generic advice; they provided personalized help tailored to my specific situation.

  • Diego B. Treviño🇲🇽Verified helper
    Outstanding person

    The support I received was beyond what I expected. Not only did they help with the immediate need, but they also provided guidance for long-term solutions. I'm forever grateful.

  • Janani Varadarajan🇮🇳Verified donor
    Trustworthy helper

    This experience has restored my faith in the goodness of people. The helper was professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely cared about my outcome.

  • Arnel F. Tomas🇺🇸Verified helper
    Exceeded expectations

    I was nervous about reaching out, but this person made me feel comfortable and supported from the very first interaction. Their help was invaluable.

Questions & comments

Ask before you give. Email-verified members can comment and ask questions - no donation needed.

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  • Pınar Keskin

    Gave what I could, wish it was more. I have a 13 year old who wants to send good wishes too. Thinking of Fresno.

    • Rubén J. Franco

      Wishing you the best, Melanie. Shared it with a few friends. The breakdown of costs made it easy to trust.

      • Fatuma Ruth Macharia

        Wishing you the best, Melanie. Everyone deserves a bit of help sometimes. After 19 years in nursing I know how hard it's to ask for anything.

        • Krishna D. Bajpai

          so sorry you're going through this, Melanie. This could happen to any of us. Wish I lived closer to Gazipur so I could bring a meal.

          • Dipa Bhattarai

            good luck, Melanie. Hope this works out for you.

            • Jimena C. Gómez

              hope things get better soon, Melanie. Reading this made my day a bit heavier but I'm glad I did. Love from Freiburg

              $1,393 raised of $2,500

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