Hi, I am a middle class white woman asking for handouts.

*Cue Sarah McLachlan Music*

I am reaching out to you in hopes that you would be willing to assist someone less fortunate than yourself.  I am not talking about someone in a far off land, a small child, or even a person with a severe case of “ain’t gots no dance rhythm”.  This person is here. She is close.  She could be your neighbor, friend, or local blog writer.  Wouldn’t you want to help someone in your own town/state/country?

This person is me.  No, I am not destitute. I am not starving,  Yet, I do struggle to pay my bills every month.  When I am not here, writing for my pleasure and your entertainment, I am your friendly neighborhood social worker. I work long hours for very little pay.  I work the night shift that no one wants (without a shift differential).  I am in an emergency room and work with all “those people” you don’t want to ever associate with. I am responsible for telling families that their loved ones died.  I work with abused children. I work with drug addicts. I work with the mentally ill.  I get yelled at, puked on, spit at, called names, cried on, and occasionally thanked.  All for very little pay.  I never expected to make a lot of money in this field, but I never expected to have to bartend in order make payments on my student loans.  I took out the loans to get an education to get a good job. The good job barely has the salary to pay my student loans.  This cycle is vicious.  So now I am a Masters educated part time shot slinger. I see people at McDonalds petitioning to make nearly as much as I do flipping burgers and this frightens me. So I am asking, this year, for your philanthropic endeavors, why not help a lowly social worker?  Help keep one of us from living off ramen and peanut butter sandwiches.

Your generous donation would be used solely to help pay off student loans.  I don’t even want to see a penny.  You could write a check directly to the loan company.  Send an e-payment. Mail some cash.  Send a carrier pigeon. What ever your wonderful hearts desire.

With your contribution, I will send you monthly updates with my progress. Stories of how a healthy meal made all the difference and how I didn’t have to sacrifice routine medical care because the co-payment was needed to put gas in my car to go to work.  I live hand to mouth every month. I am always one paycheck away from needing the assistance that I am helping others obtain.  Help me break the cycle.  Help me to continue to help others.

Now I may not be a cute puppy (but I do have some puppy dog eyes) or an emaciated african child, but I also need help. I am asking, no begging, for one of you good Samaritans to take what you probably spend in a year on eating out and help a poor social worker. I genuinely love what I do, but I won’t be able to do it much longer without your help.  SAVE THE SOCIAL WORKER!

Sincerely,

Your friendly neighborhood social worker