Our family is going through one of the most difficult financial seasons we've ever faced, and after trying everything we can think of on our own, we're asking for some help.

Over the last several months, both our cars died, my wife had to step away from her in-home daycare to care for our 3 little ones while I continued working, and unfortunately, we've now fallen behind financially, including on our mortgage. We've continued working, cutting expenses, making calls, looking at every option available to us (and I mean every option), and doing everything we can to find a sustainable way forward.

The encouraging part is that we finally feel like we can see that path.

My wife recently found a full-time work-from-home opportunity paying $20 an hour that appears to be a strong match for her experience. She needs to renew her certification before she can move forward, and she is taking the required exam now.

I have also been pursuing a career transition of my own. I'm currently exploring a work-from-home position with a salary around $60,000 per year that closely matches my experience, while continuing to work toward another, much more involved but worthwhile, longer-term career opportunity.

None of these opportunities are guaranteed, and we don't want to pretend that they are. But for the first time in a while, we have several realistic ways to substantially increase our income and create a monthly budget that can actually work.

Our biggest problem is time.

Even if these opportunities work out, that new income doesn't arrive overnight. Applications, interviews, onboarding, certification, training, and the first paycheck all take time.

Our mortgage arrears and other essential household expenses don't stop while we're making that transition.

So, that is why we're creating this fundraiser.

Our goal is to raise $16,500 to help bring our housing situation current, cover essential household expenses associated with getting through this transition, and give our family enough breathing room for the changes we're making to actually take effect.

We're not looking at crowdfunding as a long-term solution.

We're trying to build a bridge.

A bridge between the financial situation we're in today and the income we're actively working toward.

We know $16,500 is a lot of money. We also know that no one owes us anything, and we don't take asking for help lightly.

If you're able to contribute, even a small amount helps. If you're not in a position to donate, sharing this fundraiser with someone else means just as much to us.

We intend to keep this page updated as things develop so everyone who chooses to help us can see the progress we're making.

We're incredibly grateful to anyone willing to read our story, share it, encourage us, or help our family through this season.

Thank you for giving us a hand while we work toward getting back on solid ground.

Much love,

The Crandell's