Michael Baldwin - Urgent Assistance Request

December 22 update:

Thank you to everyone who has so generously donated to assist me and my family. I wanted to give something in return to everyone, whether or not they chose to donate to my cause. Here's a link for a short video of some Christmas music I recorded on my Roland FP-7F keyboard and posted on YouTube. I apologize in advance to my Jewish friends for not knowing any appropriate songs for you during this season. I hope you enjoy it.

Hello, my name is Michael Baldwin and I reside in Irvine, CA with my wife of 40 years, my son and his significant other. I own and operate three companies and I am in dire need of financial assistance I have resisted asking for until all viable options were exhausted. I feel shame, sadness and a lot of fear around asking for help yet knowing my business and sole sources of income for my family may not make it without it. As of December 13, 2023, nothing else has worked and I find myself asking for assistance in a way I have not done before.

I help others as much as possible, yet reticent to ask for help when I need it and I know I need it now, in an urgent timeline. I have organized and participated in assistance for those in need, opening my home to some, including three with developmental issues in the past few years. I have staffed weekend trainings where hundreds of men have experienced what I have witnessed as positive transformational changes of mind, spirit, purpose, and soul, through a men's organization I have been involved with for 20 years called the ManKind Project (MKP).

Incidents Leading to the Current Situation

A series of events have accumulated over the past four years, including default judgments and liens on a vehicle I co-signed for and another lease vehicle I turned in early that tanked my credit to the point I cannot obtain any loans I once easily qualified for.

At the end of 2019, my longtime friend and business partner, who had been exposed to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam, passed away due to brain cancer, after numerous bouts with other forms of the disease. I discovered that many of the company records he was responsible for handling were not properly addressed and filed. Since then I have had to reconstruct the records after his computer was sold by friends of his right after his death, with no living heirs or relatives.

Around the same time, the company vehicle stopped running properly, ultimately resulting in the recent replacement of 4 of 5 catalytic converters that were clogged, after spending hundreds over the years chasing other error codes and problems with repairs to get it running again (it's close now, with registration already paid). I started using my one and only personal vehicle until it stopped running, due to rods knocking, leading to an engine replacement or rebuild diagnosis. I have been blessed and fortunate enough to borrow a truck from the parents of one of my son's friends for the past 17 months, so I can perform my self-employed job duties.

Since 2016 I have not had a week off work due to client needs, while suffering from multiple ailments over the past few years, including a broken foot, injured ankle, knee, gout and more. My family household depends on my income to sustain our household which has barely been able to manage the monthly bills and interest payments on debts that need to be properly addressed soon. I have also not had any operational vehicle of my own or the company available for use, which is about to be resolved shortly after retraining the computer module to pass smog inspection.

When the pandemic hit, one of the businesses that generated most of the revenue to sustain monthly expenditures dropped off 57% and I learned my companies were not eligible for any of the relief offered by the state or federal government. I have managed to keep things afloat by doing whatever I can to generate additional revenue and yet find myself at a point where without assistance I will likely lose the ability for any of my companies to remain functional, along with my sources of income needed for me, my business and household, leading to a catastrophic outcome.

At the end of August, while staffing a MKP weekend training, two members of my household on governmental assistance chose to move out without any advance notification, leaving a shortfall for subsequent months which has served to further exacerbate my current financial situation. I have had to borrow money from my 9-year-old companies to maintain everything, which I need to replenish to maintain credit lines established when I had good credit and would not be able to regain if lost, due to my status.

One company has two past due invoices totaling $18,700, half of which is aging to 90 days on Jan. 2, and the other on Jan. 25, 2024, at which point my credit terms are terminated that have been open-ended. There is also $1,020 due to vendors for the other company to keep it going due to year-end insurance and new vendor compliance requirements and fees. These are both 9-year-old established and viable companies with good customers that would cease to exist, each with strong revenue. I cannot qualify for traditional and secondary business or personal financing options already explored. One company has had between $150,000 and $300,000 in annual sales over the past few years (with a decent GP), the other is primarily service-based generating about $60,000 in annual revenue. Since the loss of my business partner, I have been seeking a suitable replacement to take his place.

My Health Concerns

During the past 4 years I have aged, as we all have (especially during the pandemic), developing numerous ailments I've been trying to deal with which have limited my capabilities, including stress affecting a congenital condition predisposition with my heart, accompanied with an irregular heartbeat with frequent palpitations. Stress is what caused my father's untimely passing at age 54 and I've already outlived him by 9 years, while my younger brother recently experienced a heart attack and emergency surgery.

I have avoided major dental work that involves major reconstructive surgery, along with other medical visits and procedures being put off, while maintaining my vaccinations nd general health as best as possible to sustain my business requirements. I have lost about 30 lbs since the posted photo, down to my high school weight when I was too skinny, and well below what it ought to be for my height. I struggle to take care of myself when I become stressed and have been focusing on this to remain healthy.

My ability to address the needs of the ongoing operations for my companies is essential for meeting my household expenses, which are not wasteful or extravagant. I have cut so many expenses to attempt to weather this situation, while working out some significant debt owed to utility agencies after meeting their qualifications.

Offer of Services

I have extensive business expertise I can offer to anyone, with a background founding, managing and/or structuring numerous companies, public and private, domestic and international, as CEO, CFO, COO, president, etc. I possess exceptional abilities involving marketing, advertising, manufacturing, business management, contracts, mergers, cost analysis, and much more. Some of these companies were with men involved with MKP, including a few leaders. Many entities sought out my assistance and services based on prior involvement with others, and I welcome all viable opportunities. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or anywhere you feel I may be of assistance for mutual benefit and addressing my current needs.

I also have other technical and creative talents ranging from conference and special event organization, photgraphy, logo design, artwork, technical drawings, urban development, website design and content, songwriting (working on a project accepted by a Grammy-award winning mixer/producer), piano and keyboards.

Conclusion and Request

I feel I can and shall make it through all of this for myself and my family if I am able to obtain the requested financial assistance necessary to allow me to keep my companies open and operational, generating the much-needed monthly revenue to sustain my family's necessary financial needs. All I need is your help, with all contributions welcome and appreciated more than you know.

Thank you in advance for making the time to read this and for considering assisting me and my family in my time of need, so we can make it through this current situation.

Gratefully,

Michael Baldwin