When it comes to keeping children well fed, clothed and in a home with running water and electricity, most parents will probably tell that they’ll do whatever it takes.
“Whatever it takes” is exactly what an unemployed father from Austin, Texas is doing to keep his kids in the only home they’ve ever known. Loren Guerra says he was forced to get creative when he was recently given a pink slip from his employer. However, instead of trying to earn money by flipping burgers at his local fast-food joint or taking a job as a bus driver, Guerra decided to put his family on the eBay auction block.
Guerra says he is hoping to get corporate sponsorship for his family… and generate at least $50,000 in the process. The family’s eBay page claims that if a company agrees to a contract the Guerra family will “be their brand ambassadors.”
The family consists of Loren, his wife and their three young children. In Guerra’s words they represent “an All-American family,” ideal for representing family-friendly products. Translation: No tobacco, alcohol, gambling, or adult-themed companies need submit a bid.
Guerra says he and his family are willing to do anything to advertise a brand, including wearing shirts with brand logos emblazoned on them, participating in parades, sticking signs in their yard, heck, they’ll even wrap their cars in corporate ads.
The auction was supposed to end Sunday, but was extended to accommodate the media coverage Guerra’s creative money-making scheme had generated.
In these challenging economic times, the Guerra’s are not the only parents looking for alternative means to raise money. A new study shows that tens of thousands of recently unemployed parents are looking at new careers that use their existing skills.
Some popular alternative careers for laid-off parents include:
· Party clown
· Secret shopper
· Substitute teacher
· Professional crafter (selling their stuff on etsy.com)
· Egg/Sperm donor
· Short order cook
What creative ways have you had to employ to put food on your table?
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