Struggling Job Seeker Turned to GoFundMe and Friends for Survival
For many people, the job hunt is tough, but for Michele Wilke, it became a matter of survival. At 63 years old and living in Chicago, Michele spent the past eight months searching for steady work. She applied to dozens of positions, went on interviews, and even handed out résumés door-to-door. Despite all of her effort, the rejections piled up, and the stress grew heavier each day.
During this long stretch of unemployment, her savings dwindled. Rent for her small studio apartment was around $1,000 a month, and with less than $2,000 left in her bank account, eviction felt like a looming threat. To get by, Michele leaned on two lifelines: financial help from friends and a GoFundMe campaign that was launched on her behalf.
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The online fundraiser, called “Help Michele stay housed after job loss,” brought in nearly $3,000. Friends who were more financially stable also stepped in, some offering loans and others arranging work trades. For one friend, Michele agreed to cook weekly meals, cat-sit during travel, and help with household chores in exchange for several thousand dollars of financial support. These acts of generosity allowed her to cover food, gas, dental care, and other basic needs. Still, she estimates that she now owes more than $20,000 in personal loans, on top of another $20,000 in credit card and bank debt.
Michele explained that she did everything she could to find employment. At first, she applied for jobs in her areas of experience: HR, restaurant management, event and catering sales, and administrative work. But as the months stretched on, she widened her search to dog walking, house cleaning, florist shops, delivery driving, and other entry-level roles. Ironically, in some interviews she was told she seemed too qualified for the job. Employers worried she might get bored, even though she was simply looking for a paycheck to stay afloat.
In the meantime, she stretched every dollar. She shopped at discount grocery stores, cooked all her meals at home, rarely used her car, and even cut back on air conditioning to lower her bills. Lake Michigan became her escape—a free, nearby spot that felt like a substitute for vacations she could no longer afford.
Finally, after months of uncertainty, Michele received a job offer for a catering sales manager position. The role aligns with her past experience, and she is hopeful it will provide stability. Still, she admits the road ahead is long. With tens of thousands in debt, her next chapter will be about working hard, paying back what she owes, and trying to build a fresh start.
Michele’s story is just one among many in today’s challenging job market, where even skilled and experienced professionals find themselves relying on friends, community, and crowdfunding simply to make it through.
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