Offering for Katie

Friends, there is no easy way to say this. After years of fighting tirelessly for her marriage, Katie is now a single mother of six. This story is hers and hers alone to share, but you can read more here:

I still don’t have a category for what the kids and I have been through in the last few years. I’m confused and angry and devastated. This is absolutely not the ending I wanted and not the ending I fought and prayed for. I was here with all my heart. I gave my marriage everything I had, and ultimately, that’s what I am responsible for; not the person who isn’t capable of the same.

For those of you who have been here a while, you know that Katie has been a pillar of Coffee + Crumbs from the very beginning. Her fingerprints are all over this community, and we know many of you have been blessed by her stories and vulnerability over the past nine years. 

The reality of the situation is this: Katie became the sole provider for herself and six kids—ages ten and under—essentially overnight.

In the midst of processing an unexpected divorce, single-parenting 24/7, caring for Cannon’s needs, and helping all of her children emotionally cope with the absence of their dad, Katie is now also faced with the mounting pressure to make ends meet. 

We would love to alleviate some of this financial stress for Katie so she can move toward healing without the burden of adding even more work to her already-overfilling plate. With a community this size, we believe we can make a significant dent in the financial burden of this moment.

If you have the means and would like to come alongside Katie during this time, we invite you to support her today in one of these specific ways:

1. Direct gift via venmo: @katiemblackburn¹

2. Become a paid subscriber to Katie’s Substack

3. Purchase a copy of Gluing the Cracks

If you’d like to stay updated on ongoing prayer requests and other tangible ways to support Katie for the long haul, please sign up here to get a monthly email from Ashlee.

But I want you to know I’m not just confused and angry and devastated. I’m also strong. And while I’m not okay today, I know I will be. The chaos and confusion and fear I’ve been living with are finally gone, and I’m so ready for peace to settle into the cracks that they left behind. My faith in many things may be shaken, but my faith in Jesus is not. The story of rescue we are all living is more real to me than it has ever been.

From Katie’s words.

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A note about the podcast:

We had every intention to resume podcasting this month, but understandably hit the pause button when all of this happened. In light of current circumstances, our podcast will remain in Substack behind the paywall for the remainder of the year. We are doing this out of an abundance of caution for Katie, who is still discerning how to talk about her life in this extra raw, tender season. Limiting the next few episodes to a smaller, private audience is our version of wrapping Katie in bubble wrap.

Our mission at Coffee + Crumbs is to make mothers feel safe, known, encouraged, and loved. At this time, we need to direct that mission toward one of our own in order to keep going.

Katie has expressed a strong desire to keep doing work she loves, even in this. As such, episodes will resume in October here in Substack. It is our hope and plan to return to the main podcast feed—with ad-free, public episodes for everyone—in early 2024. Thank you in advance for understanding this temporary pivot, and for your patience and grace as we regroup.

And thank you, on behalf of everyone at Coffee + Crumbs, for helping us love Katie through this crisis. We are immensely grateful for your grace, and your care for her.

To stay updated on ongoing prayer requests and other tangible ways to support Katie for the long haul, please sign up here.

1. Truly, no amount is too small. If everyone on this email list only gave a few dollars, it would have a huge impact. ❤️