Dear Friends, Last week I learned that my beloved friend Jen is on the verge of bankruptcy. She is a loving and kind soul, thoughtful, giving and incredibly talented. She currently lives in San Jose, California, where she moved from New York in 2008 to study for a law degree. Having qualified as a lawyer in 2012, Jen took on some office space and some clients. An exciting time of great promise. She used all her available credit to start her practice, and while it was growing slowly, in the end that growth came too slowly to actually get Jen into the kind of profit that can pay for student loans, household bills, and other financial commitments. Despite trying every source possible for work, the business has folded and Jen has lost everything. Jen and her husband are now relying solely on his salary, which would be tight for one person – it’s impossible for two. Jen used to cover the food bills but can no longer do so. She picks up work where she can but it is low paid and unreliable (writing, cataloguing, test knitting) meaning she never knows how much she will have each month. This means that sometimes she has to choose between buying food, or getting the bus to an interview, buying postage for an application form, or paying charges for photocopying her resume. Searching for full - or part-time – work takes a surprising amount of incidental expenses that Jen just doesn’t have. Thankfully, one of Jen’s friends nearby has been propping them up with the help of home grown vegetables, as well as goods from their pantry and freezer. But there are a few expenses that can’t be paid in food – a cellphone bill for example, and that is absolutely crucial for job hunting.As I am not working myself right now, it is impossible for me to help a good, hardworking soul who has had an appalling run of luck. Which I would do in a heartbeat if I had the money. I am looking to raise enough money to:1. Cover Jen’s cellphone bill until the end of January 2016. She has negotiated a lower payment plan but it’s still more than her husband can afford to pay. 2. Enable Jen and her husband to have a little bit put by in case of emergencies. As we all know, when you’re in a bad place, that’s when you live in fear of the cat needing the vet, a tire blowing out or someone getting sick. Which, given the amount of worry and stress this situation is causing, is not unlikely. 3. Keep Jen’s access to her Google business account, through which she receives job notices. 4. Maintain a Netflix account because frankly, at $9 a month, that is just making a terrible situation feel bearable. I hope you can see it in your heart to make this happen for both of them. Any help you can provide them will also be helping me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for it. Much love,Terry Gladek-Hingston
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