Living in the Living Room...
Doação protegida
On December 30th, 2014, I got a phone call that would drastically change my life. After a long battle with addiction, my sister relapsed. Little did I know, she had been using for a couple of weeks and things had spiraled out of control. She was in the midst of a suicide attempt, calling to ask if I would take care of her kids. Two days later, my partner and I were driving from Oregon to Nevada to pick up her three children: two girls, ages 15 and 13, and a boy, age 8.
Now, here they are, living in the living room. Due to her circumstances, my sister will not be able to take care of her children, and she has granted me guardianship of them. Had the kids been removed from her home by the state, I would be eligible for numerous govenment resources. Because that was not the case, I am not qualifying for things that would typically assist in a situation such as this one. I also am employed, therefore I don't meet the surprisingly low financial cutoff to receive the support we need, but my partner and I don't make nearly enough to support them on our own. They have come to live in our one bedroom apartment, and the three of them all sleep in the living room. You can imagine how difficult it is for that many people to function in such a small space, with little to no privacy or space for themselves. I am asking for help with the cost of moving and hoping to also have enough to support us for their basic needs, such as food, clothing, and transportation for a few months. I would also love to be able to give them the opportunity to do extracurricular activities, camps, or classes to show them some new experiences. They moved here from a very small community with limited resources and activities and I want them to know that the world has a lot to offer them.
They are very sweet children and they have been through so much. I love them dearly, and want to give them the best of everything, but I am not able to do that without some help. Thank you for taking the time to hear our story. The smallest of donations would help!
Now, here they are, living in the living room. Due to her circumstances, my sister will not be able to take care of her children, and she has granted me guardianship of them. Had the kids been removed from her home by the state, I would be eligible for numerous govenment resources. Because that was not the case, I am not qualifying for things that would typically assist in a situation such as this one. I also am employed, therefore I don't meet the surprisingly low financial cutoff to receive the support we need, but my partner and I don't make nearly enough to support them on our own. They have come to live in our one bedroom apartment, and the three of them all sleep in the living room. You can imagine how difficult it is for that many people to function in such a small space, with little to no privacy or space for themselves. I am asking for help with the cost of moving and hoping to also have enough to support us for their basic needs, such as food, clothing, and transportation for a few months. I would also love to be able to give them the opportunity to do extracurricular activities, camps, or classes to show them some new experiences. They moved here from a very small community with limited resources and activities and I want them to know that the world has a lot to offer them.
They are very sweet children and they have been through so much. I love them dearly, and want to give them the best of everything, but I am not able to do that without some help. Thank you for taking the time to hear our story. The smallest of donations would help!
Organizadora
Lacy Coble
Organizadora
Portland, OR