In Support of Eric Jones

The first thing I think of in the morning is my daughter, and she is the last thing I think of when I go to bed and every moment in between.

I found the woman I wanted to build a life with, and together we made a plan for our future. We bought our home before our daughter was born, and we built our lives around giving her the best start we could.

We didn't work out as a couple. I hold no grudges against her, I refuse to use her as a point of pity, and I genuinely wish her well. But the end of a relationship doesn't erase the wake of it all or the responsibilities that came with it.

Somewhere along the way, our mortgage situation became a crisis. I had no knowledge of or part in creating the circumstances that put the property under threat, but I have certainly taken responsibility for putting presure on the wound. The situation is more complex than I am allowed to share, but I filed Chapter 13 bankruptcy to protect the home and stabilize the situation. Unfortunately, that has put me in an extremely tight financial position. At this point, more is owed on the house than it is worth, and the legal expenses involved have made an already difficult situation with Chapter 13 payments even harder.

The constant improvisation is not impossible, but tough, and I wish you knew me better so you would know the gravity of that statement coming from me. I really try to carry my weight, but I know when things are bad enough to ask for help. I am not too hardheaded to do that.

The plan was always to build equity in this home and preserve it for our daughter. We didn't buy it just to have a house. We bought it because we wanted her to have a stable foundation and, someday, the opportunity to pursue college with a pleasant funding surprise when she is ready for it. She may not have much of a chance to own a home herself as housing becomes more difficult for the next generation, so preserving this one matters to me.

I'm doing everything I can to keep the property afloat and, most importantly, keep it a safe and stable space for my daughter. I am succeeding.

My company may be the next thing to be dissolved in this expense war. Losing it would not bring me any relief. It is not worth much, but I need to have a plan reguardless to relieve the circumstances or to cushion the fall.

I'm not asking anyone to fix my life for me. I'm asking for help getting through the part where everything is at its tightest.

If I can get through the Chapter 13 and get the house stabilized, I can get back to the financial position I was in before all of this happened. My income was enough to cover our life then. I believe it will again.

I'm fighting to hold onto my daughter's future, one bill and one day at a time.

Anything helps. Even sharing this fundraiser helps more than you might realize.

Thank you for taking the time to read this story.