Givers,
I am currently in a situation where I am waiting for my prayers to be answered about my financial challenges. I am a 32 year old unemployed African American man who grew up as an academic enthusiast born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. I won the Gates Millennium Scholarship when I finished high school and went on to get an engineering bachelor’s degree and then a mathematics master’s degree. I always thought that if I worked hard and went to school and got a job that I could take care of myself and my family, but as you all know, it’s not that simple.
When I got out of school, I worked as a teacher at a community college making barely enough to get by and then I landed an engineering job in Huntsville, Alabama. I was able to get an apartment and get married although without a wedding. I struggled socially at work because of my race and due to chronic halitosis. On top of that, inflation began to pick up and it became apparent that I could barely save money, but my head was above water. I needed a new way. I found out about cloud engineering, a new a lucrative field. Or at least it was new to me. I studied and got a certification in cloud engineering, quit my job, and landed my first six figure remote role as a cloud engineer making $105,000 in the year 2022. I thought I had made it. My parents were proud and everyone esteemed me. However, I didn’t feel fully secure. My job environment was very unorganized, and I quickly found out that I and few others had only been hired to stimulate diversity in the company. A manager with a heart of gold got me hired to give people who look like me a chance to develop in a lucrative field. However, after a year and four months, he had left the company and then I was laid off along with my other African American colleagues.
Since my layoff, I have applied for over 100 jobs and started a government contracting business. However, due to my inexperience, I have not won any contracts. Also, I’ve only gotten one interview and I haven’t heard back from the company yet. I looked at an article about the layoffs and found out that tech roles in particular are being cut due to advancements in ai. Even some workers who have 20 years of experience aren’t getting hired after layoffs because of these ai advancements. People with my low level experience are unlikely to get hired. So that means that my life’s work could possibly amount to nothing. Money from my severance pay has diminished since my layoff in January 2024. I’ve applied for unemployment but I haven’t seen a single dollar of it due to the staggering back log. I have received food stamps but I’m running out of money for other things my family needs aside from food.
I normally would never ask people to give me money but I feel like this may be what God wants me to do. I’ve always been a giver of my time, talents, money, and counsel. During the time when I was working I would give my less fortunate friends and family money for gas, food, rent payments, and all types of emergencies. Even after my lay off, I used my severance pay to prevent one of my friends from being evicted. I gave him 1300 so that he and his family could keep their apartment and then again I sent him 890 for that same reason the next month. I had done the same thing for my brother in law last year when he was about to get evicted and that was 800 as well. In addition, I gave another friend 500 to keep his car from being repossessed. I have always been the friend to take on these financial emergencies as well as getting my hands dirty with minor car repairs and giving rides to work sometimes for months. My philosophy has always been to give to people that come to me for help if I have the ability or resources to help them. Jesus teaches this in Matthew 5:42.
Now, I am facing eviction, and I will have to face it again next month if I do not get some income soon. God has always provided for me in miraculous ways. I believe God got me my full ride scholarships, gave me the wisdom to seek cloud engineering, and moved the hiring managers at my last job to give me work opportunity. I believe that God is moving me away from working jobs. He’s shown me the truth about our society and how it is built to control us and keep us poor no matter how much money we make. My plan is to use my business to secure government contracts and get enough income to stop working all together. Then, I’ll follow my dream of creating a manga or comic book that teaches biblical and life principles. I love Dbz, One piece, Bleach, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Naruto; and I would love to follow the dream of creating my own battle themed show that could teach audiences and readers about Jesus’s teachings and biblical principles. I’ve never been able to seek this out because of trying to make ends meet. Right now, I need money to hold me over until I get a government contract or get a new job. I’d also like to have money to give to my relatives and friends who need money to survive right now as well. At minimum, I need 2000 to pay my past due rent for this month May 2024 but rent for June will be due next month on the 1st which is 1690 including water and rent. That total is 3690. Ideally, if I could get 35,000, I would have enough to make it through the rest of this year. I know I’ll be able to get a job or another source of income before the end of the year. I know that God is going to provide for me either way, but you all could be his way of doing it. The scripture Luke 6:38 says “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you.” I’ve seen this in my own life, and I know the same is true for you who are givers as well.
I’ve been praying everyday about my finances and I’m losing more money each day. I don’t want to be a failure or a burden to my family in any way. I’ve put my pride aside on this platform and I need your help. I want to be free from this system of oppression but I have deal with it for now so that I can rise above and teach others how to do the same. I’m willing to speak any of you to confirm that my need is legitimate and answer any questions you may have. I’m also open to the wisdom you all may have about making money and living freely. My cell is 2054136974 and my email is lgcopeland91@gmail.com. I would appreciate any help you all can give.
https://paypal.me/LemarCopeland?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US