Terrance, Aaron, Chelsie, and Makala
First, I want to thank those who have helped Makala's family by donating to the
GoFundMe page. I know that not everyone has the means to give money, so I also want to give thanks to those who have rec'd and shared
their story. If your heart breaks for homeless children, please consider sharing or recommending this diary.
Unfortunately, I have to beg yet again on their behalf. I simply don't have the means right now to keep them out of the emergency shelter. I've told them as much and it breaks my heart. I know going to the shelter is not the end of the world, but it's not a good situation for the children. So this is me, putting out my hand on their behalf.
Their story is complicated, as one might expect. You can read about it here. I've also spent some time with them and captured a few pictures. I'm not going to rehash all of that here. Below the fold I'll give a brief update for those who are interested.
They spent the week in an extended stay hotel.
The charge for the hotel
It was not cheap, but hotels/motels are not cheap in this area. I chose this one because the rooms have a little kitchen. I paid for half of it out of pocket while the rest of it came from the fundraiser. I also used some of the funds to take them to Costco. Unfortunately they are still not in a situation where they can easily plan meals, so the money doesn't tend to go as far. They will get SNAP in about a week, but could use some more groceries to get there.
They are still doing what they can to get services and employment and housing, but it all takes time. For example, Chelsie attended a job fair last week. She told me that it went pretty well, but I don't have all of the details yet. Hopefully I will have those soon.
They've also made sure that they are on waiting lists for long-term homeless shelters in the area. They have access to housing assistance, but it remains an uphill battle to find a place that will accept them due to previous evictions. They also want to end up in a different county than where they initially applied for these services as they believe it will be a better situation for the children. Paperwork must be transferred. All of this takes time.
So I guess that's what I'm asking for. A little more time.
I know it's a lot to ask. I hate asking. I hate that they have to ask me to ask. But if you feel comfortable giving, please think about it. I've told them that this isn't sustainable. They know that. But they could use a little more time.
As always, I have to say that I can't validate all of their claims. All I can promise is that if you give, the money will be used for housing, food, or other necessities. If any is left over (unlikely at this point) it will go to a local food pantry.
I also want to thank a fellow kossack for their offer to haul a cheap RV/trailer for the family. We found some decent options, but unfortunately this solution will take more time and all of the logistics have not yet been worked out. Hopefully we can continue to look into it.