I am reaching out today because I am truly at one of the most difficult points in my life, and I am hoping for a bit of help to keep my daughter and me afloat. I am a recently divorced father, and I have full custody of my little girl. She is the center of my world, and every decision I make is with her future and her wellbeing in mind.

Back in March, I was in a near-fatal accident that left me unable to work for months. The recovery was long, painful, and financially devastating. Even though I am finally back to working again, the damage from those months without income has pushed me into a position I never imagined I would be in. Sadly, the time I was injured and unable to work became the reason my ex-wife chose to leave after ten years of marriage—ten years in which I consistently paid more than half of every bill and did everything in my power to support our household.

I live very modestly. My daughter has her own small room, and I have mine. There is nothing extravagant or unnecessary in our home. I visit food pantries every single week just to make sure we have enough to eat. I work full-time, I work overtime whenever it’s offered—even though the extra taxes barely leave me anything—and at night I do DoorDash just to try to keep us going. Most nights my daughter sleeps in the back seat while I deliver food, something no parent ever wants to admit or accept. It breaks my heart, but I feel like I’m running out of options.

Even with all of this, I am still falling behind. Every paycheck is spent the moment it arrives, going straight toward overdue bills and basic necessities. I feel like I’m constantly trying to play catch-up, and no matter how hard I push, the finish line keeps moving farther away. I don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel right now, and I am terrified that if something doesn’t change soon, we may lose our apartment. I have no family in this city, and I have already borrowed from every friend I have—friends I have no way to pay back in the foreseeable future.

I want to be clear: I am not asking for money so I can get ahead or live comfortably. I am simply trying to keep my daughter safe, fed, sheltered, and in school without having to see or feel the crushing stress I deal with every day. I am doing everything I can, and it is still not enough.

Anything you can offer would mean more than I can express. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you for any help, support, or kindness you can give.

Single father of 3 with 50/50 custody just trying to make it. I recently got 50/50 custody of my 3 sons (twin 9 year olds and my nonverbal autistic 12 year old son. Even though I’m jobless at the moment (other than some side work thank God) without my own personal transportation and their mother receives my oldest sons ssdi check and also receives food stamps for all 3 sons and has a job somehow still got awarded child support from me even having them half the time all month. The judge took my oldest sons check into consideration and decided it should be split between parents roughly 1,000$ total and after doing the difference of what I would owe and half of the 1000 I ended up receiving a total of 81$ while she gets to keep the remaining 900$ something and also food stamp benefits for the while having a job. So therefore her working just a couple days here and there she’s able to make it fine with her other income and food stamps. While I’m trying my best to make ends meet working here and there when I can with side jobs. Because of having a 5-5, 2-2 schedule that the judge decided on making it hard to even find employment that will work with me. Im also having to take all 3 of my sons to and from school which is roughly 55 minutes away even though in the same county there is no bus that runs to their school from where I live. I have to borrow my parents vehicle every day that I have them to do so. I’m not going to sit here and say that I’m deserving of any better because I used to be an addict (now in recovery) and my bond with my sons are stronger than ever. They literally don’t ever want to leave me because their mother got a new boyfriend and literally pawns them off every time that she gets them after being with her for over 13 years and never being away from my boys it is hurting them more than anything and all I can do is just comfort them every time I get them and let them know that I’m not going anywhere! Just like today (thanksgiving) their mother told the judge that she wanted to have the boys half the day even though it was my day so that she could eat dinner at her mother’s. come to find out after she gets my sons she makes them aware that she’s going to her boyfriend’s and they have to go. they call me upset and I of course jump to their side and comfort and confront their mother and tell her that she is ignorant and evil for forcing them to go to that. we’ve only been split up for 4 months after being together for over 13 years she is not taking our sons into any consideration (she is literally doing everything she does for spite to get me upset and make me look more and more like the bad guy. I’m trying to get on my feet and get these boys what they deserve their own home and our own vehicle so that I can try to get full custody because that’s what they want. On the days that their mother picks them up for me they cry and instead of comforting them she gets them in the car and calls them crybabies and says that it’s messed up that they cry about leaving me and never her. She is a Panamanian that grew up without a father and still to this day she still doesn’t know who he is (32) yrs old. And all I can see is her putting that same hurt into them that was put into her growing up and they need out of the situation to save their sanity. So if please anyone could help with anything it would be more than greatly appreciated for me and more so my 3 boys. Please help me get them what they deserve I’ve never done nothing like this and it still makes me feel like a failure asking for help and not being able to get there as quick as needed for my sons but I have to do this with hopes and prayers 🙏 that something will happen good for us! Thank you all with all my heart ❤️. PayPal @JamesNelson3588 or Cash app $paythejt88