Have had to put my 22 year old veteran daughter of the Gulf War in a therapy center.She liked four weeks graduating from nursing school when she had her meltdown. The stress of no proper counciling and coming back to the realy world and trying to pick up where she left off before she left was more than she could bear. The V.A offered no help when we went to them. All of these burdens have put a major stress on our finances and we are living on the bare essentials to just survive. Today I have experienced more emotions at once that I knew could exist.

I understand we all have to help our selves, that is the goal most of us have. But ocassionally we find our selves in posistions we never expected. I work full time, and extra days if possible. My 22 yr. old daughter is in her last semester of nursing school. She is a member of the Mississippi Army National Guard and served a year in Iraq. If she had not gone to serve her country her schooling would be complete now and she would be working. College is paid for, but there are everyday expenses that are not covered. This being her forth and hardest semester a job (we live in a rural area of Mississippi and not many avaliable) that meets her schedule and needs has not been found. My 18 yr. old grand daughter lives with me also. She is now four months with child and the part-time job she has barely coveres her gas expense to and from work. I have been frugel with our monies, but each month I have seemed to get farther and farther behind with the necessary bills a house hold has. Some weeks I have had to choose to purchase food instead of paying the utilities on time. This month I will not be able to pay the necessities it takes to run a home, pay utilities, car insurance and have gas money for my daughter to travel the 50 mile round trip to college. I realize this is a temporary situation as my daughter will finish nursing the middle of Dec. and in the job market. But what am I to do between now and then to provide for my family? I never thought at the age of 52 I would be living below poverty level and struggling to provide for my family. There just is not enough resourses to cover our basic needs for the next two months. Is there anyone out there that can give me advice or finantial assistance for the next two months. Public assistance is not an option because of the ages of the kids. Just two months of assistance for us would get us to a place we would be totally self sufficient again. HELP A FAMILY WHO IS TRYING TO HELP THEM SELVES.

My daughter would have been finished with her nursing degree, but at the end of her first semester she was activated and deployed to Iraq. She served 13 months there. Thank God she made it home alive. Because of this she is a year behind in completing her college. She is very grateful to me for the sacrifices I make to make sure she gets an education. Once she becomes a nurse my worries will be over, our incomes together will pay the bills and hopefully the past due medical bills we have accumulated over the past few months.

I am full time employed single mother and I need assistance with my monthly bills.  My 22 year old daughter is in her last semester of nursing school, she receives assistance for her college with her GI Bill, but the cost of traveling takes most of that.  Also, my grand daughter lives with me and she is expecting a baby in March.  My income is below poverty level and I never have enought to pay the necessities and buy groceries for  my family.  I have struggled for the last two months and it has finally caught up with me.  This month there is not going to be enough to pay everything nor have money for food.  Does anyone know where I can get assistance with paying my electricity and water bill?  Also need money for the extras it takes to run a house hold.  My needs are only temporary, until my daughter graduates and goes to work.  Since this is her last semester there are extra monies needed for her to be able to graduate and the fee she will have to pay  to take her state boards.  Right now I am - $17.00 in my checking acct. and will not get paid for another week.