Winter Shelter For Needy Provo Family of Nine
Donation protected
My Gofundme Goal:
Our goal is to help a Provo family of nine living in a camping trailer have adequate shelter for this winter. Due to some significant setbacks in their lives and what appear to be some cracks in the welfare system, they do not have shelter for the coldest months of the year. Our hope is to be able to raise $10,000 for six month's rent, security deposit and any incidentals related to the rental like application fees and rental insurance. With their combined income, family size, and poor credit (due to medical debt) they have not been able to find a landlord yet who is willing to accept them. This family will not directly receive any of the funds raised , in fact they cannot receive any of it lest it disqualify them for government assistance. These funds will go directly to the landlord (via the organizer) to pay in full for at least a six month contract through the winter. During the coming 6 months we will continue to work to help them find a long term housing solution, and will report back at each stage of process. They currently have an adequate location to park the camping trailer that can be a last resort to fall back on come Spring.
Their current living situation:
- A camping trailer in Provo, Utah: (Nine people, with most sharing beds), cooking outside as it is too small to cook inside, and showering at a local gym. They have two space heaters in their trailer but sleep in their coats/ winter apparel at night. The seven children (not pictured for privacy concerns) range in ages from 5-16.
A little bit of their story/ who they are:
-Both parents work locally and the children attend local Provo schools.
-They are active in their faith community and have diligently attended Circles (a community organization helping individuals rise out of poverty) each week for the past 18 months. Involvement requires working closely with community volunteers to meet milestones that will enable them to rise above the poverty level.
- Their current income is significantly under the federal poverty guidelines, and they utilize Medicaid & SNAP food benefits.
-In August they were forced to move out of their small apartment when the landlord sold the building.
-Kind friends in the community helped them get into a camping trailer as a short term solution while they waited to find another rental. Their belongings are currently in a local storage unit.
- They are currently on the waiting list for Section 8 public housing and have been since April. Rules for public housing dictate that only two individuals can share a bedroom (because of their family size the wait appears to be much longer). This is despite their willingness and past experience with sharing much smaller spaces. 3+ bedrooms would be ideal, but anything would be better than a camping trailer through the winter right now.
-They have been constantly applying for apartments since August with no acceptance yet. (housing prices have been rising, they don't have great credit because of medical debt, but they do have good references from past landlords.)
-They were not selected by Habitat for Humanity for housing earlier this year (but will continue to apply again each year). There are a high number of applicants.
- The Father has been in and out of the hospital all year (most recently last weekend) with a severe heart condition. He currently works at a janitorial company (against Doctors orders).
- The Mother earned a Bachelor's degree in Accounting several years ago but has not secured long term work in her field. This has been partially due to constant family crises. She currently works in the school system.
- Several of the children have significant special needs.
- Due to their backgrounds, they have no extended family support. One of the parents grew up in and out of the foster care system.
Why I want to help them and need your help:
We have been friends with this family for the last year and have watched them work hard to try to improve their situation. They have a network of people that have supported them in their efforts and yet they still have encountered setback after setback. In this process we have come to see a number of systemic cracks that the vulnerable in our community can fall into, especially those considered to be the "working homeless" (https://nbcnews.to/33UqNUh):
- The only homeless shelter for Provo residents is in Salt Lake City.
- Emergency shelter is available for families through Community Action, but can only provide up to three nights with a hotel voucher, and it can only be utilized if you are not currently employed.
- There are long waiting lists for public housing, especially for large families due to strict housing size requirements.
- Many rentals are managed through property management companies which makes it difficult to talk to landlords in person and explain difficult situations.
We live in Provo, UT, perhaps one of the most generous places in the United States. (https://bit.ly/2KuFwgR) By most objective measures this family should have their needs met with existing resources, but due to their unique circumstances and despite their best efforts, they continue to fall through the cracks of our system.
Especially as the holiday season approaches where we as a community often open our hearts to acts of charity, we invite you to consider helping this family obtain adequate shelter. Their belongings and furnishings are in storage. A generous donor has already provided Christmas gifts for the entire family. They just need a warm place to live. Perhaps you set aside an amount to donate each Christmas. Perhaps you were once in need yourself and would like to give back. Perhaps you could write one check and meet this whole need. Whatever your reasons, please know that joining us in donating on behalf of this family will literally provide warmth and a roof over the heads of two adults and seven children. We are confident we can find a landlord willing to extend a lease for 6 months or more to them. In addition, if you know of a landlord or have a rental yourself you would be willing to rent to this family, please let us know. Any amount you can donate to alleviate this family's burden is helpful, no amount is too small. Thank you!
Our goal is to help a Provo family of nine living in a camping trailer have adequate shelter for this winter. Due to some significant setbacks in their lives and what appear to be some cracks in the welfare system, they do not have shelter for the coldest months of the year. Our hope is to be able to raise $10,000 for six month's rent, security deposit and any incidentals related to the rental like application fees and rental insurance. With their combined income, family size, and poor credit (due to medical debt) they have not been able to find a landlord yet who is willing to accept them. This family will not directly receive any of the funds raised , in fact they cannot receive any of it lest it disqualify them for government assistance. These funds will go directly to the landlord (via the organizer) to pay in full for at least a six month contract through the winter. During the coming 6 months we will continue to work to help them find a long term housing solution, and will report back at each stage of process. They currently have an adequate location to park the camping trailer that can be a last resort to fall back on come Spring.
Their current living situation:
- A camping trailer in Provo, Utah: (Nine people, with most sharing beds), cooking outside as it is too small to cook inside, and showering at a local gym. They have two space heaters in their trailer but sleep in their coats/ winter apparel at night. The seven children (not pictured for privacy concerns) range in ages from 5-16.
A little bit of their story/ who they are:
-Both parents work locally and the children attend local Provo schools.
-They are active in their faith community and have diligently attended Circles (a community organization helping individuals rise out of poverty) each week for the past 18 months. Involvement requires working closely with community volunteers to meet milestones that will enable them to rise above the poverty level.
- Their current income is significantly under the federal poverty guidelines, and they utilize Medicaid & SNAP food benefits.
-In August they were forced to move out of their small apartment when the landlord sold the building.
-Kind friends in the community helped them get into a camping trailer as a short term solution while they waited to find another rental. Their belongings are currently in a local storage unit.
- They are currently on the waiting list for Section 8 public housing and have been since April. Rules for public housing dictate that only two individuals can share a bedroom (because of their family size the wait appears to be much longer). This is despite their willingness and past experience with sharing much smaller spaces. 3+ bedrooms would be ideal, but anything would be better than a camping trailer through the winter right now.
-They have been constantly applying for apartments since August with no acceptance yet. (housing prices have been rising, they don't have great credit because of medical debt, but they do have good references from past landlords.)
-They were not selected by Habitat for Humanity for housing earlier this year (but will continue to apply again each year). There are a high number of applicants.
- The Father has been in and out of the hospital all year (most recently last weekend) with a severe heart condition. He currently works at a janitorial company (against Doctors orders).
- The Mother earned a Bachelor's degree in Accounting several years ago but has not secured long term work in her field. This has been partially due to constant family crises. She currently works in the school system.
- Several of the children have significant special needs.
- Due to their backgrounds, they have no extended family support. One of the parents grew up in and out of the foster care system.
Why I want to help them and need your help:
We have been friends with this family for the last year and have watched them work hard to try to improve their situation. They have a network of people that have supported them in their efforts and yet they still have encountered setback after setback. In this process we have come to see a number of systemic cracks that the vulnerable in our community can fall into, especially those considered to be the "working homeless" (https://nbcnews.to/33UqNUh):
- The only homeless shelter for Provo residents is in Salt Lake City.
- Emergency shelter is available for families through Community Action, but can only provide up to three nights with a hotel voucher, and it can only be utilized if you are not currently employed.
- There are long waiting lists for public housing, especially for large families due to strict housing size requirements.
- Many rentals are managed through property management companies which makes it difficult to talk to landlords in person and explain difficult situations.
We live in Provo, UT, perhaps one of the most generous places in the United States. (https://bit.ly/2KuFwgR) By most objective measures this family should have their needs met with existing resources, but due to their unique circumstances and despite their best efforts, they continue to fall through the cracks of our system.
Especially as the holiday season approaches where we as a community often open our hearts to acts of charity, we invite you to consider helping this family obtain adequate shelter. Their belongings and furnishings are in storage. A generous donor has already provided Christmas gifts for the entire family. They just need a warm place to live. Perhaps you set aside an amount to donate each Christmas. Perhaps you were once in need yourself and would like to give back. Perhaps you could write one check and meet this whole need. Whatever your reasons, please know that joining us in donating on behalf of this family will literally provide warmth and a roof over the heads of two adults and seven children. We are confident we can find a landlord willing to extend a lease for 6 months or more to them. In addition, if you know of a landlord or have a rental yourself you would be willing to rent to this family, please let us know. Any amount you can donate to alleviate this family's burden is helpful, no amount is too small. Thank you!
Organizer
Mara Downing Holloman
Organizer
Provo, UT