We’re thrilled to announce that three well-deserving Texas-based residents have been awarded $20,000 combined in the last month by playing crowdfunded trivia game app, Givling. From the aftermath of the 2021 Texas freeze to the purchase of a tiny home, Mindy Johnson of Houston, Julie Cooper of Springtown and Laura Daglish of Dallas shared with us their stories of playing Givling, how the app changed their life, and how the money will help them and their families in the near future. 

Mindy Johnson, a third grade math, science and social studies teacher based in Houston, TX, won $5,000 by playing the Givling app that she’ll use towards the repair costs on her home that her insurance didn’t cover after the Texas freeze and power emergency of February 2021. 

In addition to being a public school teacher who was working in special education, Mindy has also been a caretaker for her mother who was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer in 2019. Mindy’s life turned upside down and she spent 2020 taking care of her mom as she underwent multiple treatments and surgeries. The pandemic forced her to change her personal life and be extra cautious at work to ensure she remained COVID-free to protect her mother. Since then, her mom has also experienced a heart attack and a severely broken arm. 

“It’s been strenuous – physically, emotionally and financially. I’m proud of the assistance I was able to give my mother who is now on the mend, and I am proud of the work and relationships I’ve been able to build with my students as a third grade general education teacher after making the switch from special education in August 2020,” said Mindy. “Knowing my house repairs can finally be completed means everything to me. It will allow me to start saving money again and finally be able to breathe. I am beyond thankful for Givling, that this community exists, and the fact that this award came at the time I needed it the most. It is a total blessing.”  

Julie Cooper, a Navy wife from Springtown, TX, just 30 minutes northwest of Fort Worth, won $10,000 that will allow her and her husband, her high school sweetheart, to build a tiny home after selling their house and living in a camper since summer 2021. She’s been a Givling regular since 2018 after she found out that her husband was not going to get his Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), as promised, when he graduated from Texas A&M and began working for the government. 

“We never really ‘attacked’ my husband’s loans after graduation as it was not that big of a loan, it was only at 1% interest, and we were still raising our kids. By the time our baby graduated from high school, we thought we only had two years until forgiveness, so we continued on the plan. After my hubby was denied PSLF, I began searching for more info on what our options were and saw an article about Givling,” said Julie. “I figured that if we ever won, we would be able to use part of it for his loans and part for both our daughter-in-law and son-in-law’s loans. Our kids did not accrue any student loan debt as our son went into the military and our daughter graduated from Texas A&M with her Civil Engineering degree debt free.”

Julie and her husband are purposefully living tiny so that “we can spend more time with family and care for my aging parents, as well as give a better future to our kids’ grandkids.”

“I think what Givling and the Bears are doing is a remarkable thing. They have found a way to help people with financial burdens, as well as just have a little fun. There is a need for more people in this world that have a vision to help one another overcome problems like student and mortgage debt,” said Julie. “There is no doubt that the debt problem in America is at record levels and it seems insurmountable. A great big shout out to all the Givlings and the Bears. Keep spinning!”

After playing for four years, Laura Daglish of Dallas, TX won $5,000 using Givling. A Human Resources Leave Administration Representative, Laura works for a medical school and healthcare system in the state of Texas. Her husband of 17 years recently lost his job, so she will be using the money to do some much needed home repairs and improvements to increase the resale value. 
After seeing a story on Facebook about Givling, and with over $90K in student loan debt that resulted from Laura going back to college in 2003, she said it was a no-brainer for her to get involved. “I’ve been spinning, playing trivia and watching ads since,” Laura said. “I got my husband to play Givling and wish my other family and friends took it as seriously as we do. I especially appreciate all the well wishes and congratulations from my fellow Givlings. What a way to start the New Year!”