Need Help Restarting My Life

I've always been a proud person and was always able to take care of myself and my family. Five years ago, back issues were causing me problems with being able to do my job. Three years ago, I was involved in a car accident, and even after surgery, was left with lower extremity issues that prevent me from being able to hold down a traditional job. As a result, I want to turn an old craft hobby into a business and have added re-purposed furniture to the mix. My crafts are mostly of wood products using re-purposed wood whenever possible. My re-purposed furniture focuses on space-saving, multi-functional pieces for a variety of purposes. Both are set to reach a wide variety of people. I also do other types of crafts, things you don't find everywhere, and they do well also. With my injuries, this work allows me to alter how I work among my work stations, and to take breaks when I need them to accommodate my limitations and pain...to allow me to be as productive as possible.

I have been struggling in my attempt to earn money and with online surveying being my best option at the time, it is a very slow process as I cannot spend all of my time on them. So far, $40-$50 a month is all I can seem qualify for within these surveys. I have used things I had previously collected and turned them into "mostly finished" products I can sell. My goal is to get a more reliable source of income.

I am working on early retirement and it will still be necessary for me to have a supplemental income to help me survive. Even with this, without help, it will take me six months to a year to get what I need. I have gone through carefully to eliminate things I can manage without right now to get started to reduce the amount of help from others. I also thought it would be helpful if people knew exactly what I was asking them to help with. Following is a list of items any donations will be spent on and the cost for each section of items.

I need a light fixture for the garage because right now I do my work with a hanging portable light. The amount for that is $37.84 (tax included). I will also need to file my DBA which is $40. I am doing all my work on a pair of sawhorses and piece of wood right now and also have no way to display what I have for sale because I have no tables or display stands. I am in need of three display tables and wood to build two specific display units. The total for those items comes to $414.55 (tax included). I have seasonal items (and some non-seasonal) in need of embellishments to complete and that total comes to $146.03. I am in need of a few small tools: sandpaper, rip-cut saw guide, and clamps. This total comes to $91.96 (tax included). The final items on the list fall in the most expensive group. This group contains a Cricut Maker and the basic necessities I need for it and it totals $550.70 (tax included). I had another $700 in my original post, but those things I can manage without until I earn them. As much as I need all of this, if asking for the Cricut Maker is too much, I will gladly work toward it. Everything else falls under "really needed" to move forward. I have no problems showing receipts for what I purchase from any donations received to any donor that asks.

I have always worked and I need to become a productive member of society again. It bothers me greatly to have to depend on people and to ask for help at all. I know there are people out there with more important needs than I and that makes me feel worse about asking for help. I would much rather prefer to be on the donating end helping someone else, and hopefully I will see the time I can once again be able to do that. Please trust that if I didn't need the help, I would not be asking.

My goal is to get set up for the holidays and if I can have it all together by early to mid-November, I can start earning this holiday season. I have a place to set up that is free to use and on a very busy US Hwy. I live in a rural area and this highway is a main thoroughfare for four cities as well as other traffic cutting through to one of two Interstate Highways, so I will be in a good open spot on a concrete slab with available parking and ample traffic. I am certain that I can make enough money to help me move forward with my business. I have sold several of my signs over the past two years. Some to people who happen to see me working outside cutting or sanding and stopping to see what I was doing. We talked a little and I sold a couple of signs. I have taken some of my signs to a specific shop in my area and sold several. I have a current order for four signs for Christmas from a phone conversation.I don't have any questions as to whether what I have will sell or not, because it will. I need to get out and visible to the public.

I cannot begin to express how much helping to get this off the ground would mean to me. I am a hard worker and a determined person. Giving up is not a part of my fiber. I want to be productive and to survive. If you choose to help me, it will not go to waste and will be more appreciated than I can say.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story.