Allender Survival Fund

We are the Allenders, a mama, two living thriving kiddos and one brother lost too soon.

We are stuggling to surrvive, we are asking for help to get through this rough patch and over the hump to safety and security.  And then we will pay it forward.

I'm writting this campaign today, becasue my daughter lost the lens in her glasses.  That'll be $318.95 or more to replace (bifocals she's been wearing since 9 months and special pediatric frames), on top of needing brakes and tires to make the car safe (which I drive for work) $1500, if I go cheap.  That's on top of being 2 months behind on the rent, and $25k in debt.  Why am I in debt?  Because I pay for child care, $2500 per month, on the credit cards and with loans so I can work.

I am working full time, I built my business from scratch.  I'm a registered Dietitian, I provide Early intervention services to 0-3 year old kids in Chicago.  All of my savings, including my retierment, and many many donations went to cover my son's medical expences and in the end his memorial expences.   I've got nothing left - except my two (surviving twin sister 4.5 years, and new baby 11 months at this writting) beautiful children and my fledgling business.  

If we can raise $50,000 I will:

pay off all the debt
make my van safe to drive in chicago in the winter
make a down payment on a safe two bedroom apartment with a washer/dryer and dishwasher so life can stop being a hell of just trying to make it through.

I wrote the following, it explains some more:

I had a plan.
I had a plan. I had a master’s degree. I had a comfortable and reliable job at a University (UIC). I bought a condominium. I had a reliable car. I got pregnant.
I got pregnant with twins.

I had a plan.
I had a plan. I picked up extra clients and work as I could outside of the job and I saved every possible penny. I signed up for free-cycle and landed every post for baby items. The twins came early, 14 weeks early.

I had a plan.
I had a plan. I worked from the hospital. I worked from the NICU. I worked from the PICU. I worked from the step down unit. I worked from RMDH. I moved in with my parents and rented out my condo. I worked from home in between trach changes, and diaper changes, and ventilator changes, and meal times. I got laid off, my boss didn’t want me to work from home.

I had a plan. Stay home, receive unemployment, raise my twins, help my son heal and get off the ventilator, help my daughter thrive, spend all of my savings, ask for charity, access aid, twins get SSI, cash in my retirement. My son died.
I did not have a plan.
I needed a plan.

I had a plan.
I had a plan. Revive Coral Nutrition Coaching. Build the business to full time centered on the Early Intervention program which had helped Max so much, which had helped Coral too. Build the business with time built in to be with my surviving child. My thriving living daughter.

I had a plan. I renewed my registered dietitian license that had lapsed when Max was sick. I completed the Early Intervention credentialing process. I did my continuing education. I drove for Lyft. I got my daughter into affordable care. I focused on marketing myself and CNC services to the local CFCs and individuals. I recreated my website. I hired a graphic designer. I took out a loan on my credit card.

I had a plan. My business was up. My calendar was full of continuing education, “meet & greets” at the CFCs, time to drive Lyft in between.

I had a plan. My daughter began attending Akiba Schechter. I began planning Max’s memorial stone. We moved out of my mother’s home because thats where my son died.

I had a plan. I got my first client. I got my first check from the comptroller during Judy Barr Topinka’s last week. I got hired on with an agency to build my client load. I got invited to an EI-RD professional organization. I got my first month’s checks that made my plan glimmer with viability. With the new comptroller, I got my checks almost at a predictable interval.

I had a plan. I paid my bills on time. I stopped drawing from my IRA. I managed my budget. I had a full case-load. I completed the requirements to become an evaluator with the EI program. I saw the potential to triple my income. I marketed my evaluator status. I got evaluation cases. I began considering my exit strategy from working with the agency. I got pregnant with my rainbow baby, just one this time.

I had a plan. I was working in my field, setting my own schedule, working with babies like Max, and I had an earning potential more than 3 times my old salary at UIC. I was getting paid. Then the state of Illinois failed to pass a budget. I stopped getting paid.

I had a plan. I took out another loan on a credit card. I paid my bills on time. I saved every possible penny. I leaned on my parent networks and landed every post for baby items. I continued to work and to bill. I was earning more than I had ever earned before. I started school funds for Coral and the new baby. I started contributing to Max’s memorial fund. I still didn’t get paid.

I had a plan. I’d stick with the agency for a while longer, she was still paying. Then the state paid, in October for May. Then they paid a little more. Then it was December. Then I had a bouncing baby boy. Then I took another loan on my credit card to cover the bills while I was on maternity leave for 6 weeks.

I had a plan. I re-marketed myself and CNC services to all of the CFCs and service coordinators I had been working with. I quit the agency and filled the openings in my schedule within 6 weeks. I managed the intermittent payments, the overwhelming debt, the 3am feedings, the paper work, the clinical re-learning, the professional meetings, the case meetings, the disagreeable health care team members who refuse to listen, the four-year-old who did the same. I budgeted and I planned. I didn’t pay all of my bills on time.

I had a plan.
I had a plan. It…..worked. Kind of.

I am planning. I get more and more calls to do evaluations every week. I ask for help and get discounts. Coral and Martin are in quality situations for school and daycare and both places have been fair negotiators, helping us and wanting us there. Our expenses are minimized. I keep my LINK card full and I double my dollars at the participating farmers’ markets. I cook all our meals at home. I got the kids on the medical card. I shop at my favorite thrift stores just like I always did before. We dream about buying a new home with a yard and a garage instead of the one bedroom, no yard place we’ve got. We dream about having a play room and an office instead of one in the same. I dream about going to dinner at a restaurant like the ones I used to work in.
It feels like my plan is going to work. The State has consistently been paying vouchers twice per month. The insurance companies pay less, but right away. I improve my ratio of state and insurance to private pay clients a little bit more each month. I continue to pinch every penny. I continue to market my services. I continue to get cold calls for new business. I have almost always paid my bills on time but the loans are compounding and I’m sinking fast. If I can get rid of the interest, continue earning at maximum rate, continue budgeting and planning, my plan is going to work.

I have a plan. I need help. I’m asking for help. Can you help?

I will pay all help forward. I have a plan.