Disabled Veteran needs assistance with a small business

I am a Disabled Veteran who served my country honorably. I live in Fayetteville, NC, with my spouse and two children. My second child I accept as my own even though I took in the child as a teenager.

As time went on, I saw a need to make more money to provide for my growing family. I chose to reopen a business by a leap of faith. I knew when I opened this business that God would provide me the consumer traffic that is necessary to keep this business open, and with lots of prayer that I will be able to provide my children a higher education. I also made a point to do everything I can to keep the costs low by working most of the hours myself and have done so for almost two years.

I currently work for the local school system as a bookkeeper and go to the business at night, five nights a week and work the entire shift during the weekends. The family works at the store when they have a chance to do so, as I want them to still be children and not be bogged down with my business endeavors.

My military disabilities prevent me from doing some things on a day to day basis. Most of the time, I smile even when I am in pain. I believe that the Fayetteville VA Medical Center does everything that they can to ease the pain. But unfortunately, my body made a statement to me that I cannot continue to work all of these hours like I have in the past, as I was recently admitted to the VA Hospital for three days and was not allowed to work for another week.

Being a humble man, I try to do for myself, and it was very hard for me to allow others to help me do everything during my recovery. I now know that I need to slow down so that I can be there for my family.

I have not received the foot traffic to continue what I am doing. I will need to obtain funds to pay some of the debt that I currently have on the business and start an advertising campaign so the citizens of this great All American City can know that my business is alive and well, and it is the only type of business in the area that is PROUDLY VETERAN OWNED.

I am one of those men who finds it very hard to ask for assistance, but I have to swallow my pride and pray that the person reading this will help me financially so that I do not lose everything I have worked so very hard to acquire in my life.