Empower Amber's Efforts to Raise Her Siblings

Hi, my name is Erika and I run a restaurant in Oxford, MS. A few years ago, Amber showed up to a dishwashing job opening, and did consistently wonderful, quiet, and thorough work. At only 19 years old, this was unusual. After some time, I found out she was living out of her car at a truck stop in Batesville and showering at campsites in nearby state parks. Immediately, I co-signed a lease on a small space she could afford by herself on a dishwasher’s paycheck, which anywhere—especially Oxford—is quite a feat.

Fast forward a year later, and the state has abruptly and out of necessity given Amber the custody of her 13, 14, and 15 year old siblings, and disappeared. They offered no support, no help, they never dropped by to check in; there was no guidance, there were no food stamps, no Medicaid—her file was literally lost. That was one year ago. With absolutely no assistance from any local organizations we reached out to, save the extraordinary people at The Batesville Church of Christ and a generous few personal friends, Amber has been raising and supporting her three teenage siblings by herself, working two jobs, while all of them share a 1 bedroom/bathroom space with their family pet. As far as I know, the children have never had a bed, let alone a bedroom to themselves in their entire life.

An exemplary testament to Amber’s hard work and character, she has managed to secure a lease on a 3 bedroom home for them in August. We’ve also managed to get DHS re-involved in their status and get the children some assistance with medical and grocery needs, but they still need some help. Currently there is one queen bed and a couch to move into their new home. If anyone is able to give, I’d love to help them buy some clean new mattresses with big fluffy pillows and blankets, maybe some small nightstands, and a coffee table or TV trays, or bistro-style small table & chairs for them to eat on. The children’s will all be starting their second year in the Oxford School District, and are growing fast and need new clothes. A desk or two could also be useful, as well as any small kitchen appliances like toasters, etc. If you have some dollars to donate to this cause, I can assure you it will go directly towards making a difference in the young lives of a few precious struggling members of our community.

If you have any items you would like to donate, I can be reached by Facebook, personal phone number if you have it already, or you can email through our restaurant’s website’s catering inquiries HERE. Please don’t give if you can’t but a share really does go a long way on these platforms, so thank you SO MUCH for reading this, and thank you SO MUCH for helping a parental older sister put her teenage siblings in their very own bed for the first time.