Saving the Fuller's Home
Donation protected
*UPDATE: I've since changed the goal to $5,000 so that we can gradually build up to smaller goals :) This is so people don't think that it's all needed in one go. :)
Unfortunately, Go Fund Me has changed the amount from $1 to $5.
*I realized that a lot of people may be intimidated by the amount we are asking for, so I'd like to put it into better terms. We are not asking for multiple dollars ($10, $20, $50 ect.) from any 1 person. All we are looking for is a simple $1 donation. There are 7 Billion People in this world that we live in, and every day hundreds if not thousands of dollar bills are dropped each and every day without their owners even realizing. What if we took that $1 in pocket change, and donated it to someone in need? We're not here to beg for your paycheck, or beg for your income source...we are asking for a simple $1 donation. If we get 25,000 people to give us $1, we can make our goal. Many people believe in the power of prayer, but we also believe in the power of the internet. This could start a new trend. We believe in paying it forward and being good, honest people. We by no means would ever let this be forgotten, and would most certainly use it to help others in need.*
In 2006, the Fuller Family opened up their own bakery in a small town in Massachusetts. This had been a dream of theirs for all of their lives, having both home owners working in bakery businesses all since they were teenagers. When the head of the household was forced out of his Bakery management position, due to sale of the business he worked at, the opportunity came about for them to start their own business. The business was great, until 2008, when the economy took a turn for the worst. It hit the small town very hard, having big shops around the area close after many years in business, forcing some to move out because it was a depressed area. We tried holding on for as long as possible in hopes that the economy could possibly turn around, switching from one building to another to try and keep our costs low. This unfortunately didn't last too long, as baked goods are not only NOT a necessity, but they also don't have a great shelf life. We tried to keep our products' prices very low, but unfortunately with the rise in the ingredients, we were forced to raise the prices, which didn't help us out any because of the local depression. While clinging onto hope and prayers, we struggled through another 3 years, until we had to close up in August of 2011. This was the end of a chapter in our lives, but the beginning of a whole new nightmare.
With the business gone, both homeowners were forced to find another job. The male head of the household had secured a job in a local Grocery chain for $13.00/Hour, while the female head of the household struggled to find a source of income for 2 months. When the time came, she secured a job in Personal Care for $9.30/Hour, which is the rate she is unfortunately still making to this day. We went from making good money to making wages made when they were teenagers. The female of the household also secured a second job for 8 months in another grocery chain, but decided it wasn't right when she received a 6 hour work week. For a family woman, that was unacceptable, especially when she had moved her other job around to accommodate the grocery chain. While struggling with the work aspect of our lives, we were also hit with unexpected, multiple family medical issues.
We tried to push through everything as much as we possibly could, attempting to pay our mortgage payments each month. This resulted in sending multiple paychecks, only to have them returned for not having the "exact" payment even though paychecks were 2 weeks apart, they would not combine them, although the paychecks equaled more than what the mortgage's monthly payment was. We tried our best to work with our mortgage company and they never followed through. We kept receiving a runaround, which in turn was putting us more, and more in debt. We then were told not to bother sending in any payments, as they would not be put towards the amount due. In the mist of us trying to do a re modification, our mortgage was handed over to a new holder. We had sent in all of our paper work into them with an explanation of our situation, just to received a letter stating we do not qualify for a HAMP (Home Affordable Modification Program) because we are under 31% with our current debt-to income ratio. We were told we needed a $20,000 lump sum to catch the mortgage up to date, but with our credit going from AAA straight down to 0, this is impossible.
The male head of the household is now making a dollar more an hour than he was when we first hit bottom, and is hopefully going to be getting a management position very soon. The female head of the household is still making the same wages as she was previously when she first started out. On Tuesday, September 3, 2013, she will be finding out if she secured a part-time office position for the same company which will include a pay raise, and secured hours. Hours held now are not secured for reasons such as clients passing away, or being moved into nursing homes. The homeowners grab every single hour extra that they possibly can to attempt to make ends meet.
This house that we live in is not just a house, it's our home. This is where our heart is, and the thought of getting that taken away from us is unbearable. We've lived in this home for 16 years, this is where our family was raised. It's not the most elaborate house in the world, some may think it's nothing special, but to us, it's our world. While living here, we've accumulated some animals that would have otherwise been homeless or sheltered. This is not just our home, it's their home as well. This house is not perfect, it needs some fixing done to it, but it's perfect to us.
We are not the type of people who sit here and ask for hand outs. While we are struggling, we still will not apply for food stamps, fuel assistance, ect. because we know there are people out there who need it bad as well. We live day by day. The entire Fuller Family is filled with big hearts, and we try to contribute to society in any way possible. Our home has not only been open to animals who needed love, but to other people as well. We've allowed others who have had nothing, have a roof over their head, food in their stomachs, and a place to call home as well. When our business was up and running, we donated numerous amounts of baked goods to local events, food pantry, and people who could use the help in general. During the 2008 ice storm that raged through our town, and left us without power for days, and days, we returned to our frozen bakery, taken everything on our shelves, and brought it to our local School that was being used as a shelter. For the holidays in 2010, we put together our own drive in the middle of our Bakery. We accumulated Clothing, food, toys, toiletries, ect. for 4 local families that were highly in need. This meant that these children had a tree full of presents when they woke up on Christmas Morning, something that might not have been possible had we not initiated the drive. We also opened our Bakery up to allow our local school children, who's school was closed on Valentines Day one year, to come to our business for their party. We provided baked goods and drinks, and allowed the children to exchange their cards. Outside of the business, this past Christmas (2012), we went out and gave Holiday Cards with Scratch Tickets/Gift Cards to random people in hopes of cheering their day up. We gave them in honor of the children lost during the Sandy Hook Shootings.
We are not here to ask for free handouts. We are here because we are desperate, and we need the help. This may be our last attempt at saving the home that we've grown up in and love. We've lost everything that we've known already, and we can't lose our most prized possession.
We also are not expecting to get a free ride, sit back, and let other people's donation pay for our house. We're in the process of selling everything that we can, as well as working over time, trying to make some sort of money through various odd jobs, ect. We're working the hardest we've ever worked in our lives to make keeping our house the only option. We will be putting all money made by ourselves into the total $25,000 tag as well.
Once we get back on track, we'd love to start paying the generosity forward and start to help the people that are in the same boat as us. We are willing to work for the money donated, or pay it back slowly, and don't expect to get something for nothing. Everyone needs a chance in life, and we're praying for ours.
We're hoping that by posting our story, others will come out and ask for the help that is needed to survive in this economic depression.
Please help us in our journey to saving our house. We absolutely, 100% promise that we will pay the generosity forward. We fully believe that good karma goes around, and we're hoping someone will truly give us the chance we deserve.
Thank you for reading this,
Mishelle Fuller.
P.s., as of right now, neither one of my parents know that I have set this account up. I'm just very sad, and I'm tired of seeing them hurt and struggle. I'm hoping to surprise them with the money earned. Thank you!
Unfortunately, Go Fund Me has changed the amount from $1 to $5.
*I realized that a lot of people may be intimidated by the amount we are asking for, so I'd like to put it into better terms. We are not asking for multiple dollars ($10, $20, $50 ect.) from any 1 person. All we are looking for is a simple $1 donation. There are 7 Billion People in this world that we live in, and every day hundreds if not thousands of dollar bills are dropped each and every day without their owners even realizing. What if we took that $1 in pocket change, and donated it to someone in need? We're not here to beg for your paycheck, or beg for your income source...we are asking for a simple $1 donation. If we get 25,000 people to give us $1, we can make our goal. Many people believe in the power of prayer, but we also believe in the power of the internet. This could start a new trend. We believe in paying it forward and being good, honest people. We by no means would ever let this be forgotten, and would most certainly use it to help others in need.*
In 2006, the Fuller Family opened up their own bakery in a small town in Massachusetts. This had been a dream of theirs for all of their lives, having both home owners working in bakery businesses all since they were teenagers. When the head of the household was forced out of his Bakery management position, due to sale of the business he worked at, the opportunity came about for them to start their own business. The business was great, until 2008, when the economy took a turn for the worst. It hit the small town very hard, having big shops around the area close after many years in business, forcing some to move out because it was a depressed area. We tried holding on for as long as possible in hopes that the economy could possibly turn around, switching from one building to another to try and keep our costs low. This unfortunately didn't last too long, as baked goods are not only NOT a necessity, but they also don't have a great shelf life. We tried to keep our products' prices very low, but unfortunately with the rise in the ingredients, we were forced to raise the prices, which didn't help us out any because of the local depression. While clinging onto hope and prayers, we struggled through another 3 years, until we had to close up in August of 2011. This was the end of a chapter in our lives, but the beginning of a whole new nightmare.
With the business gone, both homeowners were forced to find another job. The male head of the household had secured a job in a local Grocery chain for $13.00/Hour, while the female head of the household struggled to find a source of income for 2 months. When the time came, she secured a job in Personal Care for $9.30/Hour, which is the rate she is unfortunately still making to this day. We went from making good money to making wages made when they were teenagers. The female of the household also secured a second job for 8 months in another grocery chain, but decided it wasn't right when she received a 6 hour work week. For a family woman, that was unacceptable, especially when she had moved her other job around to accommodate the grocery chain. While struggling with the work aspect of our lives, we were also hit with unexpected, multiple family medical issues.
We tried to push through everything as much as we possibly could, attempting to pay our mortgage payments each month. This resulted in sending multiple paychecks, only to have them returned for not having the "exact" payment even though paychecks were 2 weeks apart, they would not combine them, although the paychecks equaled more than what the mortgage's monthly payment was. We tried our best to work with our mortgage company and they never followed through. We kept receiving a runaround, which in turn was putting us more, and more in debt. We then were told not to bother sending in any payments, as they would not be put towards the amount due. In the mist of us trying to do a re modification, our mortgage was handed over to a new holder. We had sent in all of our paper work into them with an explanation of our situation, just to received a letter stating we do not qualify for a HAMP (Home Affordable Modification Program) because we are under 31% with our current debt-to income ratio. We were told we needed a $20,000 lump sum to catch the mortgage up to date, but with our credit going from AAA straight down to 0, this is impossible.
The male head of the household is now making a dollar more an hour than he was when we first hit bottom, and is hopefully going to be getting a management position very soon. The female head of the household is still making the same wages as she was previously when she first started out. On Tuesday, September 3, 2013, she will be finding out if she secured a part-time office position for the same company which will include a pay raise, and secured hours. Hours held now are not secured for reasons such as clients passing away, or being moved into nursing homes. The homeowners grab every single hour extra that they possibly can to attempt to make ends meet.
This house that we live in is not just a house, it's our home. This is where our heart is, and the thought of getting that taken away from us is unbearable. We've lived in this home for 16 years, this is where our family was raised. It's not the most elaborate house in the world, some may think it's nothing special, but to us, it's our world. While living here, we've accumulated some animals that would have otherwise been homeless or sheltered. This is not just our home, it's their home as well. This house is not perfect, it needs some fixing done to it, but it's perfect to us.
We are not the type of people who sit here and ask for hand outs. While we are struggling, we still will not apply for food stamps, fuel assistance, ect. because we know there are people out there who need it bad as well. We live day by day. The entire Fuller Family is filled with big hearts, and we try to contribute to society in any way possible. Our home has not only been open to animals who needed love, but to other people as well. We've allowed others who have had nothing, have a roof over their head, food in their stomachs, and a place to call home as well. When our business was up and running, we donated numerous amounts of baked goods to local events, food pantry, and people who could use the help in general. During the 2008 ice storm that raged through our town, and left us without power for days, and days, we returned to our frozen bakery, taken everything on our shelves, and brought it to our local School that was being used as a shelter. For the holidays in 2010, we put together our own drive in the middle of our Bakery. We accumulated Clothing, food, toys, toiletries, ect. for 4 local families that were highly in need. This meant that these children had a tree full of presents when they woke up on Christmas Morning, something that might not have been possible had we not initiated the drive. We also opened our Bakery up to allow our local school children, who's school was closed on Valentines Day one year, to come to our business for their party. We provided baked goods and drinks, and allowed the children to exchange their cards. Outside of the business, this past Christmas (2012), we went out and gave Holiday Cards with Scratch Tickets/Gift Cards to random people in hopes of cheering their day up. We gave them in honor of the children lost during the Sandy Hook Shootings.
We are not here to ask for free handouts. We are here because we are desperate, and we need the help. This may be our last attempt at saving the home that we've grown up in and love. We've lost everything that we've known already, and we can't lose our most prized possession.
We also are not expecting to get a free ride, sit back, and let other people's donation pay for our house. We're in the process of selling everything that we can, as well as working over time, trying to make some sort of money through various odd jobs, ect. We're working the hardest we've ever worked in our lives to make keeping our house the only option. We will be putting all money made by ourselves into the total $25,000 tag as well.
Once we get back on track, we'd love to start paying the generosity forward and start to help the people that are in the same boat as us. We are willing to work for the money donated, or pay it back slowly, and don't expect to get something for nothing. Everyone needs a chance in life, and we're praying for ours.
We're hoping that by posting our story, others will come out and ask for the help that is needed to survive in this economic depression.
Please help us in our journey to saving our house. We absolutely, 100% promise that we will pay the generosity forward. We fully believe that good karma goes around, and we're hoping someone will truly give us the chance we deserve.
Thank you for reading this,
Mishelle Fuller.
P.s., as of right now, neither one of my parents know that I have set this account up. I'm just very sad, and I'm tired of seeing them hurt and struggle. I'm hoping to surprise them with the money earned. Thank you!
Organizer
Mishelle Fuller
Organizer
Baldwinville, MA
