OK, Now Where Am I Supposed To Turn?

The author of this column moved to Randolph from Massachusetts in 2000, and just moved to Barre last November. Before that she lived in Massachusetts. She still has family in Randolph. The Herald does not generally accept requests to withhold the author’s name, but we have made an exception in this case. —Ed.

I have a story and was wondering if you would be interested in it. This is also a call for help because I am unable to get any assistance.

I am 35 years old. I have three children. My oldest daughter just turned 18 and has recently had a baby boy. She lived with me up until about 6-8 months ago, then she moved in with her dad in Massachusetts.

I have a son who is 11 years old, and a daughter who is almost 7 years old.

From the time I had my first child when I was 17, I have always tried my hardest to provide for her as best I could. I almost always had a full-time job. When she was two years old, I put myself through cosmetology school and graduated with high recommendations. I remained in the cosmetology field for the next couple of years. During that time, I had to move in with my sister because I was in an abusive relationship. I ended up having to take my then four-year-old daughter into a homeless shelter for women and children because my sister was moving to Florida and we had nowhere to go.

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I stopped working at the salon at that time because I had no way of getting back and forth to work. I also needed to focus my attention on getting out of the shelter and into a home of our own. After being there for about five months, we were able to get an apartment of our own.

Over the next few years I got involved in a relationship, had my son who was very ill for the first couple years of his life with a number of different things.

The relationship with his father did not work out, so I was living alone now with my two children. I was working full time and struggled with finances. But I did manage somehow.

In the year 2000 I moved to Randolph. I was yet again involved in another relationship and became pregnant. I had a very difficult time with everything. My relationship was not going great, I was working but could not keep up with my bills. I was sliding by, and a number of times would come home to no electricity because I couldn’t pay the bill. I was always pleading with this one and that to give me more time. My kids were affected by the stress that I was going through. I couldn’t even afford to get them clothes that they needed.

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Which brings me to this: I am still working a full time job, and struggling now more than ever. I am doing everything right, yet nothing has worked out in my favor. Last March my car’s engine seized and had to go to the shop for repair. I found that the repair is going to be around $2000. In the meantime, I have car payments to make.

I could only afford to give the auto shop $600 because that was all I could come up with. They still have my car because I don’t have the money to get it out. The $600 I gave to them was from my car payment money, and now they are hounding me for payments and threatening to go get the car from the repair shop and repossess it.

I contacted Community Action and Path. Community Action has no programs to help this kind of thing. Path said that because I work, my income does not allow me to be eligible for their services. So I asked them if I would need to quit my job in order to become eligible because I will not have a job soon if I lose my car all together. I have had to find a ride to and from work since last March, and cannot do it much longer.

* * *

So now, my car sits in the shop with a balance of approximately $1300. The car dealership wants about $1000 from me. I have absolutely no resources and nowhere to turn. I cannot get a loan because I do not have good credit. I can barely pay my rent or buy groceries. I’m so tired of struggling and am asking for help from anyone who would be willing.

This is my last resort. I have prayed for a miracle…I don’t know what else to do!

"Lost"

(The writer may be contacted at Re: Article, C/O Schm, PO Box 1, Barre, Vt. 05641.)