Terrance, Aaron, Chelsie, Makala
This is another entry in my series on a homeless family I've been trying to help.
Fundraiser link:
http://www.gofundme.com/...
Previous diaries are here:
How do you tell a homeless child that they have to go back to the emergency shelter?
A trip to the zoo with a homeless family
Makala is homeless
I'm going to continue to ask for donations on their behalf until the family finds long-term shelter. If you find their story compelling, please consider sharing or donating.
First, I want to thank everyone who has donated so far. It's hard to put into words how much good you have done. You have made it possible for Chelsie and Terrance to focus on finding decent shelter and employment. You have provided a roof over their heads, food, clothes, and even a couple of toys. For those of you who have experienced homelessness, you probably understand what that means to them. Their saga is far from over, but they now have some sense that things might just get better. Please continue reading for an update and possibly some roses.
They've had a busy and productive week. I should start out by saying that they managed to get a few more nights at the hotel. They've been having trouble with their phone (which has been a big pain for me) so the hotel extended their stay for two nights for free. They also received some benefits and can extend their stay a little longer. It may not be enough to find a more permanent shelter, but at least they have a little more time.
Because of this, they decided to use the money raised last night on more urgent needs. I took them grocery and clothes shopping. The folding wagon I bought them came in handy.
Terrance calls it 'The Cadillac'
First we went to Goodwill.
Goodwill receipt
$8 of the total will not be coming from the fundraiser (I bought my son a couple of toys).
I was hungry and tired at this point from chasing my 2 year old around the store, so we had a bite to eat, my treat. Then it was on to groceries.
WinCo receipt
$4 of the total will not be coming from the fundraiser (I bought a treat for my family).
This was quite a bit of walking. Terrance wasn't his talkative self today in part because of some back pain he's been having. But we still had a good day. I talked to Aaron about his interest in art a little bit. He's a creative kid. I tried to encourage him to take art classes to hone his skills. I hope he gets the opportunity.
There has been progress on other fronts as well. Terrance managed to get all of the paperwork taken care of so that they can get services in this county. He also made sure that they are on the waiting lists for the long-term shelters here.
Both Chelsie and Terrance are very focused on employment right now.
Terrance is going to be starting his JOBS program tomorrow. He's confident that with his resume he will find employment soon.
Chelsie also attended an employment event last week. I gave her some cash (not from the fundraiser) to buy some clothes and she went through an orientation, two mock interviews, and three real interviews for retail jobs. She hopes to hear back next week. She said she was very very very nervous (her words) because she hasn't worked in seven years. But she feels like she has a shot.
The kids now also have passes for the THPRD facilities. That means they can go swimming and get involved in a lot of other activities over the summer. And yes, you wonderful people bought them bathing suits.
The struggle isn't over, of course, which is why I'm still hoping some will decide to give. But things are looking up. Terrance said that next week is going to be a good week. This community is a part of that. And yeah, so what if I'm tearing up a little bit. It's a good thing.
I don't know what else to say. I took my son to the rose garden last week so here are some roses for you. Thank you.