Season of Sharing helps Bradenton woman get back on her feet

For months, Amanda Bywaters spent restless nights lying in bed, typing questions into Google and hoping the answers that popped up on the screen could put her mind at ease.

She searched for jobs. She searched for ways to find financial assistance for those affected by COVID-19. She hoped to find any bit of relief.

Bywaters, 35, said the “domino effect” of her financial struggles started in January of 2019. That is when she lost her job, her car was repossessed and she and her boyfriend then received a 24-hour eviction notice at their apartment in Sarasota days later.

“It was $1,100 for a one-bedroom, but we were both working full-time jobs, so we can do it. We had the money. But then I lost my job. Three weeks later, he lost his job. And then we just couldn’t get caught up,” Bywaters said.

From there, the snowball effect of Bywaters falling behind on bills, losing jobs and worrying about how she would pay next month’s bills would continue through this fall.

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