Supporting children of Roberta Gray

I met a wonderful young woman named Shaneta Gray and her two younger siblings Tearah and Dragon back in December. They moved to High Prairie with their mother Roberta Gray about a year and a half ago, but don't know many people in our community. Tearah and Dragon attend Prairie River Junior High School, and they have been living with their 22 year old sister Shaneta since just before Christmas due to their mother's struggles with addictions and mental health concerns.

Shaneta is very dedicated to her younger siblings and does not smoke, drink or use drugs. She has no children of her own, but she has cared for her younger siblings for much of their lives. Since I have met Shaneta, she has completed a Life Skills course through NLC, got her Class 7 drivers license and has registered for academic upgrading at NLC for September, as she wants to be a positive role model to her younger siblings.

Sadly, on May 5, 2023 Shaneta and her siblings received the heart breaking news that their mother Roberta had passed away suddenly and tragically. Although her brother and sister have been living with her for the past 6 months, Shaneta has not been able to collect any formal financial supports to provide for them, aside from her own limited, fixed income each month, as she is not their legal guardian. Finances have been an ongoing challenge with the rising costs of utilities and groceries, but each month Shaneta prioritizes paying the rent and bills, and whatever is left goes to groceries.

Shaneta moved with her siblings into a basement suite closer to the downtown as they do not have transportation, and she has done her best to set it up as a home for the three of them. Shaneta has a huge heart, and what she lacks in finances, she makes up for in her love towards Tearah and Dragon. She doesn't always have alot of money, but she does what she can to ensure that all of their needs are met before her own. As well, even while their mother has not been in a healthy place, Shaneta has also tried to help her mom when she is in contact with them.

Now that their mother has passed, Shaneta will become Tearah and Dragon's legal guardian. She will be able to apply for the Child Tax Benefit after a Guardianship Order and Parenting Order can be granted, but that will take some time, so I wanted to set up a Go Fund Me campaign to provide them with some supports during this difficult time.

They have few extended family members that they are connected with, so Shaneta has had alot of responsibility to manage on her own. She has been doing a great job so far, but it is a challenge when she is doing it alone with limited resources, and she is a young woman herself. Shaneta is shy, humble, and she doesn't ask for much, but I know that any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Shaneta will put the donations to good use as she catches up on bills, and figures out how to move forward and deal with everything that needs to be addressed after their unexpected loss.

I did not know their mother Roberta Gray. In fact, I only met her once briefly. But I know that her children were her biggest pride in life, and based on what I have seen, she raised some pretty great kids! ❤️

If you are not able to support with donations, I would ask that you support this Go Fund Me campaign by sharing it on your social media. Thanks.