Homeless Woman and her Three Children

Several weeks ago, I was walking out of a restaurant downtown on Fremont Street and I noticed a woman and her three children walking out of a motel and I felt something was not right.  The mother and two of the children were further ahead of the third child as he was having trouble with the flimsy stroller. I asked the boy if he was okay and he replied, “No.  We are homeless”.  The mother came over and I asked her if she was okay and if she needed anything.  She said they were sent here by the city of Chicago with a Section 8 voucher for affordable housing, but there is no Section 8 availability and she has run out of money for the motel and had to vacate.  I noticed the 2-year-old was walking funny, and I discovered the baby and the 10-year-old had blisters on their feet.  All four of them had ratty shoes and no socks.  My friend Margaretha B. and I paid for her motel room for 5 days to give us time to figure out what we could do to help them.  My amazing friend Margaretha contacted another amazing person Jennifer D. who works in Section 8 rentals, and Jennifer got a landlord to agree to take her Section 8 voucher.  This entire process will take time and will keep her and the children homeless for a total of 4 weeks since we met her until the house is approved, etc., and there is no state or county money to help her with everything she needs.  Michele M. and Dinosaurs and Roses will furnish the house with donated furniture.  Cassie and Adi M. had the house cleaned for the family.  Kim V.-C.  went shopping and bought her new dishes and pots and pans.  Alicia M. is gathering baby clothes.  Nedi B. had her landscaper go to the house to give a bid to remove the weeds, lay screening, and artificial turf and we will see where we are at when the bid comes in.  Lorely R. sent me $100 for incidentals.  Annoula W. has patio furniture and other items for us, Natasha P. offered a leather couch, desk, and toys.  Margaretha and I have paid her motel for 15 days and we have another 15 days of rental ahead of us.  Angela E. owns a shoe company and is giving us shoes and gathered her friends and staff to donate clothes and toys.  Many others have asked how they can help.  I need landscape work, clothes, and money.  I need help putting the elctronics together (TV to Blu Ray), locks changed, and physical work like that.  I will let everyone know what is still needed after we get the keys and get her in the house.  But I want to raise $3000 for incidentals.  This would include the house deposit of $1500, utility deposits, anything they are missing to run a household, and maybe yard work. I need a heavy duty stroller for two.  I need help putting the electronics together (Blu Ray to the TV, etc), I need school supplies.  I need clothes for the children for school, new and gently used.  They are homeless, they have one backpack and they need to get registered for school.  As luck would have it, I searched the school they are zoned for and learned my friend is the principal. Jaymes A. said he would take care of everything.  After they are in the house, I will keep my eye on them and make sure they make it. I will help them with things they may need in the future.    Please donate any amount you can for this cause.  $5.00 would be so greatly appreciated.  All records will be open to inspection to donors for 7 years.  There are millions of people in need.  If you do not help this family, please help someone else.  We are all so fortunate and have so much.  We have to think about those that do not and we have to be there for them.    Any left over money will be used for them if they need something in the future.

Sizes: 

Girls toddler size 4 shoe, and 4T clothes or one size larger

8-year-old boy size 13 shoe, and 7/8 clothes or one size larger

10-year-old girl size 6 shoe, and 10/12 clothes or one size larger

Mother size 6 shoe, and 10/12 Jrs clothes or one size larger