Sick of working for free

I was just reading a post from a graphic designer Sick of working for free and wow did it hit me hard.

I work on average 70 hours a week and everyday is a "work" day but never seem to get a "pay" day.

I've spent the last 30 years researching and writing about PTSD. Since 2006 I've been making videos and almost as long filming local events. Since 2007 I've put up over 17,000 posts on this blog alone. Lost count on how many veterans and their family members I've helped. I've traveled to many parts of this country all on my dime and time. Few of the trips were funded.

I started making videos on PTSD before anyone else did yet I can't get a job getting paid by anyone. Amazing! Everyone wants it for free. When I started my non-profit, no one told me it also meant no money.

While I became an expert of PTSD, finished certification at Valencia College in Digital Media, I never managed to make a living doing this. The people I help can't afford to make donations and the people who can afford to do it won't because they don't value this work enough. So tried of asking for donations when it is always the same people stepping up for me when I know they really can't afford to do it.

As for working for other charities with the means to pay people, I was told that I was their competition.

On of my friends came up with a great idea. She thought it would be wonderful to film an event and then take donations for the DVD. I did that but only managed to get 8 orders. It took me 5 hours working at the fundraiser, three weeks of editing and that was the result.

If I go to work for MacDonalds, who'll be there when these veterans and families need help? I won't be able to take a call of answer an email while taking orders at the drive-thru. As it is, I just had to cancel a trip to an event because my car needs $1,000 worth of repairs including work on the breaks. In other words, I'm screwed and honestly, lately, spending more time regretting I started this work so long ago. Grateful people are poor and the wealthy don't notice.