Fund Tyler's Single Fatherhood Journey

Hello! My name is Tyler Woodbridge. I'm a 34-year-old father of two: Julia (4 years old) and Evan (3.5 months old).

I'm going through a quite necessary divorce with the mother of my children. They live in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. I moved to Columbus, Ohio in April of this year to put myself in a less-toxic situation and to be closer to my only support group, my friends.

I disowned my nuclear family four years ago to break generational cycles of abuse and toxicity, but even before that, they were of zero support throughout my adulthood. As a result of my upbringing, I spent much of adulthood stubbornly insisting on handling everything on my own, oftentimes to my detriment. As such, I've accumulated an embarrassing amount of personal debt, and my lines of credit have been tapped out. This isn't even including the student loans for a degree I haven't been able to finish yet.

Now that I'm on the other side of therapy, fatherhood, divorce, and the pandemic, I realize now that not only is a strong community essential for prosperity, it's essential for survival. I've always tried to be generous with my resources, but now that I'm getting desperate, I hope that what has went around, shall indeed come around.

What I Need

I have two more parenting visits to Tennessee and one final mediation that should make the divorce official in August. Legal costs, travel, and miscellaneous essential expenses have mounted, and I'm late on rent - which is honestly almost the same amount as my child support!

It's more expensive to fight for fatherhood rights than it is to just let it go. I'm still in training for my job, so I'm not making commissions yet. Whenever I've had the energy, I've tried gig work and my sputtering writing career to make ends meet, but to no avail. 

I feel terrible asking for help after I already got a boost from friends 6 weeks ago for a prior court appointment, but I'm afraid for my health and my relationship with my kids if I can't get across the finish line.

Estimated and rounded expenses I need help with:

$1,336 for early termination of Tennessee lease

$1220 for gas

$900 for mediation 

$750 for lodging

$620 for court recorder expenses

$300 for miscellaneous essentials I've been putting off, including new Ohio tags and eyeglasses

Any extra money raised beyond the $5,126 total will go towards my past-due rent and highest-interest debt.

After the divorce is final, my kids will live in Ohio, my support will be recalculated, and I'll be making better money at my job - so hopefully by the time autumn rolls around, I'll have my life together.

I'm infinitely grateful for any and all assistance I receive. I have so much love for the friends and supporters in my life, and those who have helped and will help in the future will always be appreciated, and never forgotten. I will always share in the joy of my parenthood journey, never stop pushing towards my dreams of media creation and entertainment, and pay forward your contributions in kind, shall I ever be in a position to do so.

Thank you all for your time and consideration. I know times are tough for most, so you choosing to put your limited resources towards helping myself and my children has such an incredible impact in both tangible and intangible ways!