I never thought I'd need it...but here I am

Last year, two people who found me on LinkedIn asked me to start GoFundMe projects for them...one an evangelist from Pakistan, the other an auto mechanic from Gambia.

But here I am...a retired factory worker-turned-screenwriter from the United States. And seven days ago, I launched my own GoFundMe effort.

If you're getting ready to toss your monitor, laptop, or cell phone across the room, wait...here's what happened:

The company I spent 1-26-2004 through 10-5-2022 with is an employee-owned business that offers its employees what's called an Employee Stock Option Program. In the program, company workers receive shares in the business...and that means they can eventually take a payout, start an IRA, etc. Well, the last time company officials made a stock declaration was October 2024. A month later, I called the financial group that works with my previous place of work to seek a payout in response to the stock declaration, and the payout arrived in my bank account on 1-2-2025. Did everything right...I set aside 5% of my monthly income (stock money plus Social Security payments) to put in my savings account for emergencies. I didn't try to splurge...in the meantime, I waited to hear from the factory and the financial group to see if a stock declaration would take place in 2025.

When I came to realize no declaration would happen in 2025, I went looking for at least a part-time job where the money would supplement my Social Security income. Three months later, I'm still looking.

I applied for a job with a company I worked for from 1980 to 1986...an inventory firm.

First day back on the job was supposed to be 1-2-2026...except I received an email from a company manager. The email stated that a computer glitch fouled up the information four other applicants and I put online (info about taxation, Direct Deposit, citizenship, other goodies)...and that the company wanted us to fill out the info all over again. After I put my information back in, I haven't heard back from that manager. Phone calls and emails have proven fruitless.

America's biggest furniture store (it's here in Omaha) turned me down, too. And I haven't yet heard back from a used book store or from a thrift store.

I'm not giving up the search...and I'm not giving up on a screenwriting-TV writing career. (Even reached out to a local firm, Fallen Giant Films.)

Just want to get back on my feet and make sure I can get ALL my bills paid.

Right now, I receive $1,399.30 a month from Social Security...and pay $785.00 for rent each month.

Presently, each month, I'm paying $165.35 for Medicare Senior Supplement, $121.34 for car insurance, $78.66 for utilities, $55.63 for cell phone use, $49.99 for Internet use, $42.92 for dental insurance, $28.62 for landline phone use, and $15.17 for renters insurance. Those eight other bills come due before I even see my SS money (and that dough comes on the third Wednesday of every month).

I've found a cheaper rate for car insurance...but I can't act until I see any new money. And I've cut back on groceries...now spending $365.00 monthly, and that's $87.00 less per month than what I'd been shelling out.

If you're able to donate to my own GoFundMe effort, just go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-jims-journey-to-financial-stability.

Here's wishing you and yours all the VERY BEST for 2026...and beyond.

Tomorrow, 1-30-2026

That's the day a general strike will take place all over these United States to protest the nation's move to a fascist government.

That means, if you're able to do so, you refrain from going to work, going to school, and going shopping...all to protest DHS' Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.

If you can't walk off the job or attend demonstrations tomorrow, you can boycott large corporations that support the antics of the current White House...and that includes major retailers among those big businesses. (But if you've got to shop, small local businesses are okay.)

Think of all the major companies whose support of the former host of TV's "The Apprentice" in 2016, 2020, and 2024 helped lead to (among many other things) the drive to annex Greenland...tariffs galore...erasing non-White men and women of all colors from the American history books...to say nothing of masked ICE agents kidnaping, raping, and killing innocent people.

Maybe you can write letters (online or physical) to elected officials...especially Congressmembers. Urge them not to give any more loot to DHS and its ICE arm. Signing petitions and engaging in online political discussions is okay, too.

People on Facebook and on Instagram have sounded the call for a general strike...and you can also go to https://NationalShutdown.org for more information.

If this is the only way to get Corporate America's attention, well...so be it.