Figuring it out one blog at a time.

  Sometimes the gears stop. The big systems — the federal supports, the benefit flows, the aid pipelines — they sputter. And when they do, homes feel it: empty fridges, silent phones, the weight of “What now?” In this moment of uncertainty — brought into sharper relief by the current federal government shutdown — I want to point you to a tool that doesn’t need a vote or a waiver to work: FindHelp.org . It’s simple. It’s immediate. It doesn’t wait for Congress to figure itself out. What it is & why it matters FindHelp.org is a free, national directory. Plug in your ZIP code, pick the help you need (food, utilities, housing, work), and it maps you to local programs, nonprofits, resources verified and ready. When traditional aid (like SNAP or WIC) might be delayed because of funding lapses, finding alternative community-based help becomes essential. This isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s a practical bridge. Why I’m sharing this now In the logistics world, we talk about linkages ...

  When the Planner Can’t Plan They don’t tell you that passion has a pause button. That even when the dream feels like it’s finally gaining traction, life can slam the brakes — hard. Since February, I’ve been walking through one of the most difficult stretches of my life. Two friends gone within months. A surgery and a recovery that humbled me. Death anniversaries that reopened old grief. And in the middle of it all — school. My anchor and my weight. There were days when I’d log into class and just stare at the screen, knowing I was there but not really present. There were moments I thought, “I can’t carry one more thing.” And then life whispered, “You don’t have to carry it all — just keep moving.” From ’94 to Now — The Long Route to the Classroom I graduated high school in 1994, full of dreams and plans. But plans don’t always run on schedule. In 2012, I enrolled at Florida State College in Jacksonville. By September, I’d moved to South Carolina. In 2013, the Port cal...