As shared by Nicola T:

I come from a family of service members. My Grandfather served in the Army, My Father the Navy, my Sister the Air Force, my Daughter the Air Force and I served in the Marines. I was sharing custody of my son with my ex husband until December 2017 when I got him full time. At the time I was working for Mattress Firm and was financially stable. Unfortunately, I had to quit because working retail hours was not feasible for being a single mom. From there, I got a job as a substitute teacher which I made $90/day. For a few months, I was living off of savings and my sub pay. When my savings ran out, I had to get help from local agencies and food banks. During this time, I decided to take the exams in order to get my teaching certification. In May 2018, I passed my state exam and was accepted into a teaching certification program. In June, the school district officially hired me as a teacher for the upcoming school year. Unfortunately, my contract does not start until Aug 9th which means I will not get my first paycheck until September. I have tried to get a summer job to no avail. I have been driving for Uber and cleaning friends and family houses for money. They also put me on food stamps until I get my first paycheck. As it stands right now, I will not be able to cover my rent for August 1. I have a portion of money to apply to my rent but not the full amount and am out of ways to try and come up with it. The money I am making with Uber has gone to other bills. Though I am still driving for uber, there is no way I can drive enough to come up with the remaining balance I need for my rent which id $770.

Notes from Crusaders:

We are going to raise donations to help with rent which is $770 and electric which is $170. Nicola starts a school teaching job in August so she just needs a hand up.  Please donate or share this Veterans story on your social media platforms. Tracey Nazarenus President Crusaders Valor For Veterans 303-324-7096