Jennifer has reached her fundraising goal on HandUp!

6 people helped Jennifer raise $775 — View latest update

Jennifer

Why I'm using HandUp for texbooks.

My goal is to attend medical school and to one day work with the undeserved and immigrant community. In the future I wish to start an organization where I can help those individuals that are in need in order to improve their situation.

About me.

My name is Jennifer Martinez, I am the oldest of two and am a native of San Francisco. Since middle school I have been involved in volunteer work and have participated in various summer programs. In high school, seeing the situations a faculty member was able to connect me with a psychiatrist that gave me a job as an office assistant in order to help me. Later on, I got a second job at a cafe shop in order to save up for college expenses. Since being at San Diego, I have been playing for scholarships and currently and looking for a work study position but being that space is limited I haven't been able to find a position yet, but am still in the search.

My backstory.

I am the oldest daughter of a single mother. Growing up it was financially difficult for my mother, but we always had what we need. Always trying to provide my sister and I with the best my family purchased a home but lost it when the housing market began to rise and my mother was disabled because of a work injury. Due to this, we were places in the situation of scrambling to find a home and ended up in a home that was in terrible conditions where the landlord would harass my family. We later had to move out again and have since been living in a family friend’s garage. The situation isn't better since the garage is not built to hold a home and does not have basic tools such as a kitchen or a full bedroom, but it has kept my family off the streets.