Keeping Kids From Homelessness This Winter

This fundraiser is for a very close friend of mine. My very best friend and her kids. I am raising money to help Jessica and her three young children from homelessness this winter. Montana is currently experiencing a housing shortage and this strong mama has been managing to get by with the help of a YWCA Family Shelter.

This shelter has decided to retroactively initiate a 90 Day policy and has sent out eviction notice to many families including hers. She is already on all of the waiting lists and busting her behind to find housing but finds herself with an expiration on their situation and nowhere but a hotel to go with the kids as we enter the coldest months in Montana. Without help these kids will end up living in a vehicle, deprived of any comfort necessary to their success.

The people who promised to help in their time of need just left this family very vulnerable, I'm calling for anyone who can to be their support now. A hotel room alone will cost upwards of $1,980 a month (which the hotels classifies as a 28 day period) if paid in full, so what I'm asking will hopefully hold them through the winter. Anything is appreciated.

I'm copying the letter she has written to the news stations in hopes of bringing this injustice to light for not only her family but all of the other families being evicted, some with very short notice.

"To Whom it may concern:

I am writing this letter to inform the public of what is currently happening at the YWCA Meadowlark in Missoula, Montana. Currently, because there are too many people on the waiting list to gain access they have made the decision to remove all of the families with children that have been there longer than 90 days. They’ve made this decision knowing full well that these people will have to live on the street as there are no other options available for homeless families with children. They had stated previously to the public and these families that because of the pandemic and the housing crisis that they would not be kicking anybody out. The reality is that it is almost winter and they are kicking all of these families out to freeze to death and giving them no other options. They are presenting a false image of caring to the general public and it should be made known what they are actually doing. I have 3 small children that I will have to somehow keep warm and safe from others while living on the street for the foreseeable future. I am at a loss of what to do for my family at this point. Please feel free to contact me at any time should you have any questions.

Jessica"

The YWCA who uses "empowering women," is doing the exact opposite. They have made not only Jessica's but many families feel incredibly vulnerable, marginalized and forgotten. I personally believe they need to change their policies or their motto because they aren't empowering anything. I won't even get into the projected costs the facility has paid to house pets while still evicting these families who don't even have pets. This entire situation is a severe injustice.

I made the goal for this fundraiser $7,200 which would give these kids some breathing room by allowing Jess to pre-pay a hotel for the holidays, cover winter clothes expenses for her kids (hats, gloves, scarfs and boots), this will also help with food costs (no snap with her job she doesn't qualify) and any incidental expenses that may need to be purchased to give her kids the very best they deserve. She hasn't asked for a penny but she deserves this help, they deserve to know they won't be homeless for the holidays.

Thank you for reading this and thank you for supporting this family.