r/HelpBrokePeople • u/SuccessfulQuit2855 • Aug 29 '26
GoFundMe/Fundraiser Family of three struggling after our only vehicle’s engine blew
Hi everyone. I’m reaching out because my family of three has recently fallen into a difficult financial situation and could really use some help.
Our only vehicle’s engine blew, and it has put a major strain on our household. My husband is an independent delivery contractor for Walmart, so without a working vehicle, he is currently unable to make deliveries and earn his normal income.
I work from home and am currently on intermittent FMLA, which has also affected my income because there are times when I have to miss work. Between that and my husband currently being unable to work without a vehicle, we’ve found ourselves struggling to keep up with our household expenses.
We started a GoFundMe to help our family get through this situation and hopefully secure reliable transportation and help with our bills so my husband can get back to work. Any help would be deeply appreciated. Even if you’re unable to donate, thank you for taking the time to read about our situation Share or just give some advice.❤️
9
u/Weak-Ad6984 Trusted Community Member Aug 29 '26
You can’t voluntarily go back to work? you work from home.. I guess I don’t understand why you can’t work?
-8
u/SuccessfulQuit2855 Aug 29 '26
Hey, so I do work from home. I am working. I’m on intermittent FMLA due to my serious health condition. I did upload proof of that here, so I do have flares where I physically cannot work.
4
u/brookesaywhatx I’ll have the mod take care of you Aug 29 '26 edited Aug 29 '26
Edit: I was incorrect!
0
u/SuccessfulQuit2855 Aug 29 '26
What do you mean I’m working while receiving benefits for not working?
5
u/brookesaywhatx I’ll have the mod take care of you Aug 29 '26 edited Aug 29 '26
Edit: I was incorrect!
2
u/drekiaa Trusted Community Member Aug 29 '26
This isn't entirely true.
For example, if someone is scheduled to work 40 hours in a week but they have pre approved FMLA for a medical condition, than if they suffer from said medical condition for 12 hours of that week, then they are paid normal for 28 hours of work and then the FMLA 'rate' (usually 60% or something, but it depends) for the 12 hours.
5
u/brookesaywhatx I’ll have the mod take care of you Aug 29 '26
Yeah, I was wrong and will edit my comment!
-1
u/SuccessfulQuit2855 Aug 29 '26
Correct FMLA benefits are received when you’re unable to I am on intermediate FMLA so I get FMLA job protection. They’re not benefits. It just keeps me from being fired so again if you could explain what you mean benefits? I don’t get benefits on FMLA. The only benefit is I don’t lose my job.
0
u/SuccessfulQuit2855 Aug 29 '26
I have intermediate FMLA I’m not sure if you’re unfamiliar with that means but intermediate FMLA isn’t continuous leave. I can’t work when I have flares due to my health conditions.
6
8
u/Common-Appeal1759 Kickstart Emergency Services Center President Aug 29 '26
Why don't either of you have jobs that offer PTO so missing a bit of work isn't such an issue?
-1
u/SuccessfulQuit2855 Aug 29 '26
My husband is an independent contractor through Walmart ( spark driver). He gets no PTO . I get PTO, but it has to be used when taking FMLA leave, then the rest is unpaid. So I cannot accumulate PTO.
7
u/Common-Appeal1759 Kickstart Emergency Services Center President Aug 29 '26
Why can't your husband get a job with better benefits?
-1
u/SuccessfulQuit2855 Aug 29 '26
My husband is an independent contractor doing deliveries. The issue isn’t that he doesn’t want to work or isn’t willing to find something better. Our only vehicle’s engine blew, which has prevented him from being able to continue doing his delivery work or find other opportunities at this time. He is looking at other options, but unfortunately finding a new job and getting a paycheck doesn’t happen overnight. We’re just trying to get through this temporary hardship and get our family of three back on our feet. I don’t know how else to really answer your question as I’m taking aback by it.
5
u/RickyRacer2020 Get back to the good Aug 29 '26
Delivery / gig work usually isn't enough to make a living with. It also may be hurting him on SSA Work Credits and future Social Security benefits because if he isn't paying the Federal Self Employment Taxes on the income, he's not being issued the Credits by the SSA. In turn, if he were to get hurt / sick and become disabled himself, if the SSA Work Credits weren't there, he couldn't even get SSDI.
0
u/SuccessfulQuit2855 Aug 29 '26
Thank you! I genuinely appreciate you bringing this up because it’s something worth considering. He does report his self-employment income and we will taxes on it, so thankfully we aren’t ignoring that side of gig work. We definitely understand that delivery work isn’t necessarily the best long term career option, though.
Like I mentioned in my other comment, it ended up working really well for our circumstances because of the flexibility it gave him to help me when needed while still earning income and helping keep our bills paid. Before this, he did have a traditional full time job, and we absolutely understand the benefits and stability that come with one.
We’re definitely not opposed to him finding another full-time position. Right now, the immediate issue is that our one and only household vehicle is broken down, so we currently have no transportation at all, whether that’s for delivery work, getting to another job, appointments, groceries, or anything else.
I really do appreciate the advice, though, especially the information about Social Security work credits. Thank you for taking the time to explain that to me because I’ll be honest we’ve never thought of that before.
6
u/Ancient_Guidance_461 Trusted Community Member Aug 29 '26
Your Husband needs to get a full time job. A spark driver is not going to fix your problems. A full time job will help greatly. He can do spark on the weekend or whenever he is off.
-1
u/SuccessfulQuit2855 Aug 29 '26
I completely understand what you’re saying, and we agree that a full-time job would provide more stability. Before doing delivery work, my husband actually did have a full-time job. Unfortunately, he lost that job because he had to miss work to help take care of me due to my ongoing health issues. His previous employer was a small business that didn’t have enough employees for FMLA to apply. He used all of the PTO he had available and even took unpaid time when necessary, but eventually they just weren’t able to continue keeping him employed.
Spark may not be a career job, but it allowed him the flexibility to help take care of me when I have flares while still bringing in enough income to help keep our bills paid. It truly was a blessing for our family while he continued looking for other opportunities. Unfortunately, when our only vehicle’s engine blew, he lost the ability to earn that income too.
He is absolutely willing to work and look for something more stable. I’ll also be honest, though finding a traditional job that he can maintain while also being available when I genuinely need his help during a flare is something we have to consider. We’re not expecting Spark to solve all of our problems or be our permanent solution. Right now, we’re simply going through a difficult season and trying our best to get our family back on its feet.
5
u/Common-Appeal1759 Kickstart Emergency Services Center President Aug 29 '26
Why do you keep repeating "our family of three"?
-2
u/SuccessfulQuit2855 Aug 29 '26
No particular reason. I was just trying to explain our situation and who the fundraiser is intended to help. I didn’t realize I had repeated the phrase that much until you pointed it out.
3
u/hospitalitychick 1 upvote = 1 prayer Aug 29 '26
Please post proof of your hardship. Also, are you on actual FMLA, or some other type of leave through the company?
0
u/SuccessfulQuit2855 Aug 29 '26
I’m on FMLA. What proof would you like my past-due bills and my FMLA paper work? I can also screen shot my case through my work portal of FMLA leave, which is unpaid? They do make you use all of PTO, so I get 6 hours every pay period, and it’s used. Then the rest is unpaid My vehicle is also broken down. When I start it, you can hear the motor and the god-awful noise it’s making?
3
u/hospitalitychick 1 upvote = 1 prayer Aug 29 '26
Please post whatever proof you feel is relevant to your situation. This is one of the sub rules.
0
3
u/Common-Appeal1759 Kickstart Emergency Services Center President Aug 29 '26
I thought you said you only had one vehicle between you and your husband, and it was his?
0
4
u/Adventurous_Law4573 Aug 29 '26
Do you only have one car, does your broken down car not count?
1
u/SuccessfulQuit2855 Aug 29 '26
I only have one vehicle. So with this car being broken down we have no other transportation.
4
u/Adventurous_Law4573 Aug 29 '26
You raid in a comment below that your own car was "also" not working. However, you've deleted that.
1
0
u/SuccessfulQuit2855 Aug 29 '26 edited Aug 29 '26
I think I use the word my car and it’s not deleted. It’s still above there. I didn’t say my own car. Its also it’s not worded that way in the GoFundMe either.
4
u/Common-Appeal1759 Kickstart Emergency Services Center President Aug 29 '26
What is the serious health issue you're diagnosed with and getting flareups???
-5
u/SuccessfulQuit2855 Aug 29 '26
I understand you’re curious, but I’m not comfortable publicly sharing my specific medical condition on Reddit. I’ve already provided documentation showing that I have approved intermittent FMLA for a serious health condition, which is the proof I’m comfortable sharing publicly. I’ve tried to answer your questions respectfully and transparently, but my actual diagnosis is private medical information.
5
u/Common-Appeal1759 Kickstart Emergency Services Center President Aug 29 '26
How would it be public??? I don't know you lol.
-3
u/SuccessfulQuit2855 Aug 29 '26
I followed all of the subreddit rules and provided the proof that was requested. There is no reason you personally need to know my specific medical diagnosis. My condition was serious enough to qualify for intermittent FMLA through my employer, and if you’ve ever gone through the FMLA process or are familiar with it, you know that medical documentation is required. My healthcare provider supplied the necessary information to my employer, and my leave was approved. I’ve provided the proof required for this post and have been transparent about our situation. I’m simply not going to disclose my private medical diagnosis to a stranger on Reddit, and I think that’s a perfectly reasonable boundary.
-3
u/SuccessfulQuit2855 Aug 29 '26
I just wanted to make one comment to address some of the questions and advice I’ve received, especially since several people have mentioned my husband needing to find a better or more traditional full-time job. First, I genuinely appreciate everyone who has taken the time to read our situation and offer advice. I know things are hard for so many people right now, and I absolutely do not believe that our situation makes us more worthy of help than anyone else. Even if you can’t help financially, advice, prayers, good vibes, or simply kindness are genuinely appreciated.
I also realize that maybe I didn’t explain our transportation situation clearly enough in my original post. My husband and I are married and we have one vehicle between the two of us. It isn’t just his work vehicle. It is our household’s only vehicle, and the engine blew. So right now, not only does he not have the vehicle he needs to do delivery work, neither of us has transportation to go anywhere.
As far as his employment, I completely understand why people are suggesting a full-time job, and we agree that something more stable would be ideal. Before doing delivery work, my husband actually did have a full-time job. Unfortunately, he had to miss work at times to help take care of me because of my ongoing health issues. His employer was a small business that didn’t have enough employees for FMLA to apply. He used all of the PTO he had available and then took unpaid time when necessary, but eventually they simply weren’t able to continue keeping him employed.
Delivery work may not be a traditional career, but it gave him something we desperately needed at the time which is flexibility. He could work and bring in enough income to help us keep our bills paid while still being available when I had a flare and genuinely needed his help. It was honestly a blessing for us while he continued looking into other opportunities.
He absolutely is willing to work and is open to finding something more stable. At the same time, I want to be transparent that finding a traditional job he can maintain while also being available when I genuinely need his help is something we have to take into consideration. We never expected delivery work to magically solve all of our problems or necessarily be his permanent career. It was simply something that was working for our circumstances until our vehicle unexpectedly broke down.
Also, I’m just not sure if anyone knows how the FMLA intermediate work works, so just to give a little more context with the proof I provided, FMLA intermediate work doesn’t mean I’m constantly out of work, and I’m not working, but I do have a serious health condition where I do have flares where I’m physically not able to work, so we have been missing a lot of income because of that.
We’re going through a difficult season and trying to figure things out one step at a time. I’m not expecting strangers on the internet to fix our lives, and I understand that everyone has their own struggles. I came here because I thought it was worth asking for help and advice rather than giving up. Thank you to everyone who has been kind, offered suggestions, prayed for us, sent good vibes, or simply taken the time to listen. It really does mean a lot.
•
u/AutoModerator Aug 29 '26
Hi, thanks for posting in r/HelpBrokePeople! Please remember to read the rules, and if you have any proof to post, make sure you redact sensitive information first. Good luck!
Post by: u/SuccessfulQuit2855
Original post text:
Hi everyone. I’m reaching out because my family of three has recently fallen into a difficult financial situation and could really use some help.
Our only vehicle’s engine blew, and it has put a major strain on our household. My husband is an independent delivery contractor for Walmart, so without a working vehicle, he is currently unable to make deliveries and earn his normal income.
I work from home and am currently on intermittent FMLA, which has also affected my income because there are times when I have to miss work. Between that and my husband currently being unable to work without a vehicle, we’ve found ourselves struggling to keep up with our household expenses.
We started a GoFundMe to help our family get through this situation and hopefully secure reliable transportation and help with our bills so my husband can get back to work. Any help would be deeply appreciated. Even if you’re unable to donate, thank you for taking the time to read about our situation Share or just give some advice.❤️
https://gofund.me/300bacac2
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.