Help Brandon Pay for a Rental Apt for Him and Sons

Hi, my name is Shelly and I’m fundraising for my son, Brandon. Brandon served in the US Air Force for 6 years after high school and while stationed at Cannon AFB in Clovis, NM, met his future sons' mother. Their relationship was rocky from the very beginning, but despite that, his oldest son, Ethan, was born 4 years ago. Liam came along 13 short months later. I'm not sure too many of us have their act together in their early years and my son and his girlfriend were no exception. Their relationship has never been healthy, and then she abruptly left with Ethan while pregnant with Liam, returning home to live with her dad in New England. I'm not going to fall into blame here, but I will tell you that her leaving with his sons profoundly affected my son's mental and emotional well-being. I'm thankful that he did receive counseling while at Cannon AFB, but the breakthrough he needed was a couple of years coming.

After Brandon was discharged from the Air Force, he pretty much floated around working odd jobs and avoiding any responsibilities. At one point he did try to move to New England to help raise his sons, but the expense of living there combined with a series of very badly chosen, poorly paying jobs proved to be a recipe for failure and after a couple of months of living in his car, he came home to live with his stepdad and me. At first, we saw the same complacency, sleeping all day, gaming all night, dirty dishes everywhere, and rather than taking the initiative to clean, he had to be told like a child. In time, he was able to secure a job with our State Government as a heavy machinery mechanic; the trade he learned during his time in the Air Force. With this job, came a new sense of self-respect and dignity. We began to notice changes in his behavior and attitude, both with us and about himself.

After about 10 months of working, my son told us he and his son's mother had worked things out and he was moving back to be with them. This time he was able to save up several paychecks before he drove back to New England. I am happy to report that Brandon dove right in and helped 100% with everything including the cooking, the cleaning, the bathing, the feeding, the book reading, and just being there for them. I would chuckle when he told me that I was right about how being a parent was HARD WORK, but so worth it. He truly had a breakthrough and was embracing what life had given him. :) I wish I could say that Brandon's relationship with the boys' mom was the happy ending he wanted, but it hasn't been. She seems to have been dealing with a lot of her own issues including drugs and a mental illness diagnosis. After getting her engagement ring thrown at him several times, he finally concluded that their relationship was going to be one of co-parenting only. Thankfully, this time around, he has a decent-paying job as a mechanic and since moving out, he rents a bedroom from her dad.

So, this is why this fundraising is important to me. Once my son realized he could not be with Ethan and Liam's mom, it opened up a very mean side to her. The boys were at Brandon and their grandfather's house and Ethan began to act out and try to kick Brandon. Brandon told him he wasn't allowed to kick and told him to stop. After several attempts of asking Ethan to stop, Brandon spanked him on his butt. Ethan's mom proceeded to take a picture of the red mark and forwarded it to Child Protective Services. During the hearing, the judge ordered Brandon to go through parenting classes while an investigation took place. He has been attending the classes as well as seeing a CPS counselor. Last week, Brandon received a letter from CPS with the determination Brandon is not a danger or threat to the boys. He has a follow-up court case next week which he hopes will open up shared custody with his boy's mom. Due to his earlier complacency about his parental responsibilities, he is paying both custody and arrears, AS HE SHOULD BE. However, this financial requirement has caused it to be nearly impossible for him to move out of her dad's house. And to make matters worse, her dad has texted Brandon that he must move out soon.

He has a great job with medical benefits for him and the boys and he truly believes that he will soon have shared custody which will reduce his monthly child support enabling him to provide a good life for them. Your donation would help my son afford the deposit and first & last month's rent for a 2-bedroom apartment for himself and his two sons which would set them on a path of success. Thank you!