The Five Lakes Fast Forward initiative provides a high-velocity boost to clients toward their debt-free finish line, helping them reclaim their lives much sooner.
SOUTHFIELD, MI – Five Lakes Law Group, a firm dedicated to helping consumers overcome high interest debt, is proud to announce Evelyn Rosal, known to friends as “Eve,” as the latest recipient of the Five Lakes Fast Forward Giveaway.
Launched in 2025, the Five Lakes Fast Forward giveaway is designed to act as a catalyst for clients who have demonstrated immense resilience while navigating their debt resolution programs. Each month, members of the Five Lakes team nominate clients whose stories have moved them for the giveaway, and Five Lakes provides a payoff that eliminates a portion or all of the winner’s enrolled debt — effectively “fast-forwarding” them toward the finish line of their financial journey.
For Evelyn, a retired nurse assistant who spent decades caring for others at a nursing home and the VA, the win follows a stretch of health challenges that eventually led her to step back from a career she loved. After a gallbladder surgery and a later bout with COVID-19 left her more worn down than she expected, Evelyn’s employer encouraged her to retire.
“My boss kept telling me, ‘You need to retire, you need to retire,'” Evelyn recalled. “But I kept telling myself, ‘No, no, I’m still okay.’ Then my body told me I really did need to slow down.”
Living on Social Security alone, as rent for even a modest apartment climbed well past $1,000 a month, Evelyn found herself relying on credit cards just to get by — all while continuing to help family and friends whenever she could.
“Money was always tight,” Evelyn said. “No matter what I did, I still felt like I was falling behind every month.”
The Initial Relief: Joining the Program
Before the giveaway win, Evelyn first found a path forward by enrolling with Five Lakes in January 2024, consolidating roughly $27,000 in debt into a 48-month plan. The move meant she no longer had to think about the debt piling up every month.
“Once I enrolled, I told myself I wasn’t going to worry about that money anymore,” Evelyn said. “I was just going to focus on what was left.”
Evelyn moved across the country to be closer to a nephew, and along the way found herself budgeting carefully and making adjustments to stretch her income further, including spending time at a local senior center where she connected with friends over shared meals. “It’s really difficult, but I never want to complain,” Evelyn said.
When her housing situation changed unexpectedly this past spring, Evelyn leaned on community resources while she searched for something more stable — all while continuing her monthly payments toward her enrolled debt.
The ‘Fast Forward’ Win
It was during this stretch that Evelyn confided in a member of the Five Lakes Client Success team, about how tight things had become. That conversation ultimately led the team member to nominate Evelyn for the Five Lakes Fast Forward Giveaway — and by eliminating her entire remaining balance, the win lifted a weight Evelyn had been quietly carrying for years.
“When you all called me, I thought it was an early April Fools’ joke,” Evelyn laughed. “I didn’t really believe it until I talked to you. I kept thinking, ‘Is this for real?'”
“It makes me cry, because I didn’t realize there are people like you who really listen to us — who listen to how we struggle,” she said. “I cried for two days in a row, because I didn’t understand that something like this could exist.”
Evelyn says the relief is real. “Right now, I feel like it’s lighter to carry,” she said. “It’s not heavy on my shoulders anymore. I can breathe.”
Looking Ahead
With her debt now being cleared, Evelyn is preparing to move back into a place of her own, where she’s looking forward to one simple pleasure above all: cooking her own meals again.
“I want to cook,” Evelyn said. “I love vegetables — I want to make a big pot of vegetable soup. I’m craving a Filipino chicken rice soup, too. I can already taste it.”
Originally from the Philippines, Evelyn says she’s also looking forward to building a small cushion of savings for the first time in years, with hopes of eventually visiting family back home.
“Whatever I have left, I’m going to hold onto it until I can open a savings account,” she said. “At least $100 or $200 a month will be great. I can buy some new clothes, too!”
Above all, Evelyn says she’s grateful for the people who took the time to listen. “Everyone is so kind at Five Lakes — soft-spoken, and willing to help you understand your questions. Very professional. I love it,” she said. “I’m so blessed. Without you, I don’t know where I’d be.”
About Five Lakes Law Group
Five Lakes Law Group is a premier debt relief law firm dedicated to helping Americans overcome the burden of high-interest debt and achieve financial freedom. Founded with the mission to provide best-in-class legal support to consumers experiencing financial hardship, the firm offers a strategic, attorney-led alternative to bankruptcy. With over $500 million in client debt paid off, Five Lakes Law Group combines one-on-one legal counsel with innovative technology — including 24/7 support and a dedicated mobile dashboard — to help clients reduce monthly payments and become debt-free within 24 to 48 months. Headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, with offices in Chicago, Five Lakes Law Group is BBB accredited with an A+ rating and is committed to transparent, success-based results.