Debt relief for Eric Marchese
Donation protected
Dear friends,
Over the past year, I’ve gone from earning a fairly comfortable living as a freelance reporter to sliding into debt. Much of this has been caused by my chronic health issues (from fibromyalgia) and the rest from a gradual decrease in the amount of work I’ve been getting. The major blow this year came with my being let go this past spring from the newspaper job I’d been doing since the mid-1980s. It took me several months to land new paying work, and in that time the bills started to pile up – as did the notices from debt collectors.
I’m now in a situation where I need to come up with $700 by the end of next week (Nov. 9) and between $3,500 and $6,500 over the next few months. I’ve wrestled with the concept of starting a GoFundMe page, and up until now have rejected it – but I find that my back is against the wall, so to speak, and it occurred to me that it probably cannot hurt to try this.
So I’m asking for help – but only via whatever is within your means. If you can scrape together a few nickels and dimes, that would be great. If it’s a few dollars, that would be great too. And if it’s more than a few dollars, then I would be grateful beyond description. But please don’t burden yourselves by helping out more than is within your means. I don’t want anyone else to find themselves in the same position I’m in, struggling to survive and trying to make ends meet but falling behind in making bill payments and so forth.
In the past I’ve only asked for financial help in funding our annual music (ragtime) festival but not via the internet, and not for myself personally. I saw that as a worthy cause (and still do). I won’t put my personal woes in the same category, but I’m filled with as much gratitude for any help here as I’ve been in the past whenever organizations or individuals have come through with funds for our music event. I know I can never say thank you too often.
Over the past year, I’ve gone from earning a fairly comfortable living as a freelance reporter to sliding into debt. Much of this has been caused by my chronic health issues (from fibromyalgia) and the rest from a gradual decrease in the amount of work I’ve been getting. The major blow this year came with my being let go this past spring from the newspaper job I’d been doing since the mid-1980s. It took me several months to land new paying work, and in that time the bills started to pile up – as did the notices from debt collectors.
I’m now in a situation where I need to come up with $700 by the end of next week (Nov. 9) and between $3,500 and $6,500 over the next few months. I’ve wrestled with the concept of starting a GoFundMe page, and up until now have rejected it – but I find that my back is against the wall, so to speak, and it occurred to me that it probably cannot hurt to try this.
So I’m asking for help – but only via whatever is within your means. If you can scrape together a few nickels and dimes, that would be great. If it’s a few dollars, that would be great too. And if it’s more than a few dollars, then I would be grateful beyond description. But please don’t burden yourselves by helping out more than is within your means. I don’t want anyone else to find themselves in the same position I’m in, struggling to survive and trying to make ends meet but falling behind in making bill payments and so forth.
In the past I’ve only asked for financial help in funding our annual music (ragtime) festival but not via the internet, and not for myself personally. I saw that as a worthy cause (and still do). I won’t put my personal woes in the same category, but I’m filled with as much gratitude for any help here as I’ve been in the past whenever organizations or individuals have come through with funds for our music event. I know I can never say thank you too often.
Organizer
Eric S. Marchese
Organizer
Santa Ana, CA