Help Keep a Roof Over Our Heads
Donation protected
A vicious custody battleover my two amazingly, heavenly, incredibly awesome children (initiated by my ex) which has wrecked havoc on mine and my children's lives, combined with the loss of my job due to a dispute between the owner of the restaurant at which I worked and the owner of the building in which it was located that forced us to close with 2 days notice at the end of May, my subsequent slide into debt while searching for a new job, and late fee upon late fee imposed by my own landlord has left me desperate enough to swallow a large dose of humility, and to beg for help from friends and strangers.
My apartment is the cheapest apartment I can find in an area I feel comfortable living with my children. It's small. Only 544 square feet. It's a one bedroom.
(These are my kiddos. Aren't they gorgeous? Smart, too!!)
My kids' beds are in the dining and living rooms, and my bed, all of our clothes, all of the laundry, their toys, our crafts, their artwork, my paperwork, and everyone's shoes are stored in the bedroom. I like to think of our apartment as a test of my organizational creativity and ingineuity.
Even though it is the best combination of central (I am currently without a car), cheap and safe that I could find, it is still just over $1000/month, which was just over half my income before I was laid off in May. Now it seems like an impossible amount of money.
I recently contacted the United Way for help. They referred me to numerous charities that subsequently informed me that they lack the funds to help. I called Denver Health and Human Services, and was told that I don't make enough money to qualify for rental assistance. I have no family here, and even if they were here, they couldn't and/or wouldn't help. I have also exhausted my landlord's tolerance for partial payments, and just today was told that I either pay everything all at once, or I have to go.
The worst part is that I am right on the verge of climbing out of the hole in which I've been so frustratingly trapped. I am tenuously gripping the edge with the very tips of my fingers, and with a little scrabbling around I will be able to improve my grip, pull myself up, and finally see some daylight. I have a new job (I start tomorrow), I began earning income through Air BnB just two days ago, I make and sell origami flowers, and today I negotiated a freelance writing contract that has the potential to grow into something bigger and more permanent.
(A bouquet of origami Lillies I recently made for a friend.)
Had I not been so late with my rent over the past few months, I wouldn't also owe so much money in penalties and fees, and I would be able to cover this month's rent. Were this month's rent finally paid, I would be able to save for next month and actually pay it on time, for the first time in 4 months.
As it stands now, I owe $1725, including fees, by Wednesday, October 21st, or I will have a date with the Sheriff. And, I really, really don't think I will make it through that. The past two years have been such a struggle just to survive, that a setback as big as having no where to live, is a setback from which I simply do not have the emotional, financial, or mental resources to recover.
Not to mention how devastating an eviction would be for my kids. They already worry about things that children their ages should never have to worry. In particular, they worry that I won't be able to pay the rent and we will become homeless. The level of powerlessness and anxiety they already feel because of my situation gives them nightmares and affects their ability to cope with the normal ups and downs of middle school and high school. I try to hide my own worries from them. I tell them that worries over rent are grown-up worries, and not worries that kids should ever have. I lie to them when they ask if I've been crying. I fear for their ability to cope with just one more small bump in the road, let alone a roadblock as virtually insurmountable as becoming homeless.
(Free tickets to a Rockies game made for a fun afternoon!)
I am, and have always been, a firm believer in giving back to the community at large. I strive to do the right thing, not out of fear of punishment, but simply because it is the right thing to do. My apartment floor has seen its share of visitors/friends who would otherwise have slept in their cars, or worse. I have shared the last of my groceries with friends who were in a tight spot with no where to turn. I know what it means to be desperate and would never turn someone away. I am now the one who is desperate, and I hope with all my heart that you won't turn me away.
Should you choose to help, (I hope you do!) and you live in Denver, I will personally bake an Apple Cherry Crumble just for you. If you've never had my Apple Cherry Crumble, you are in for a treat. It is goddamned delicious, if I do say so myself... If you are outside of Denver, I will fold and send to you a beautifully hand-crafted origami flower. If I am able to keep my apartment, everyone who donated will be invited to a house re-warming party to celebrate. Of course, the choice is yours, and I really hope you will choose to help me keep a roof over our heads. Anything you can donate will make a huge difference to me, as well as to both of my amazing children.
(This is Vato, the 4 lb Chihuahua. Adorable!)
My apartment is the cheapest apartment I can find in an area I feel comfortable living with my children. It's small. Only 544 square feet. It's a one bedroom.
(These are my kiddos. Aren't they gorgeous? Smart, too!!)My kids' beds are in the dining and living rooms, and my bed, all of our clothes, all of the laundry, their toys, our crafts, their artwork, my paperwork, and everyone's shoes are stored in the bedroom. I like to think of our apartment as a test of my organizational creativity and ingineuity.
Even though it is the best combination of central (I am currently without a car), cheap and safe that I could find, it is still just over $1000/month, which was just over half my income before I was laid off in May. Now it seems like an impossible amount of money.
I recently contacted the United Way for help. They referred me to numerous charities that subsequently informed me that they lack the funds to help. I called Denver Health and Human Services, and was told that I don't make enough money to qualify for rental assistance. I have no family here, and even if they were here, they couldn't and/or wouldn't help. I have also exhausted my landlord's tolerance for partial payments, and just today was told that I either pay everything all at once, or I have to go.
The worst part is that I am right on the verge of climbing out of the hole in which I've been so frustratingly trapped. I am tenuously gripping the edge with the very tips of my fingers, and with a little scrabbling around I will be able to improve my grip, pull myself up, and finally see some daylight. I have a new job (I start tomorrow), I began earning income through Air BnB just two days ago, I make and sell origami flowers, and today I negotiated a freelance writing contract that has the potential to grow into something bigger and more permanent.
(A bouquet of origami Lillies I recently made for a friend.)Had I not been so late with my rent over the past few months, I wouldn't also owe so much money in penalties and fees, and I would be able to cover this month's rent. Were this month's rent finally paid, I would be able to save for next month and actually pay it on time, for the first time in 4 months.
As it stands now, I owe $1725, including fees, by Wednesday, October 21st, or I will have a date with the Sheriff. And, I really, really don't think I will make it through that. The past two years have been such a struggle just to survive, that a setback as big as having no where to live, is a setback from which I simply do not have the emotional, financial, or mental resources to recover.
Not to mention how devastating an eviction would be for my kids. They already worry about things that children their ages should never have to worry. In particular, they worry that I won't be able to pay the rent and we will become homeless. The level of powerlessness and anxiety they already feel because of my situation gives them nightmares and affects their ability to cope with the normal ups and downs of middle school and high school. I try to hide my own worries from them. I tell them that worries over rent are grown-up worries, and not worries that kids should ever have. I lie to them when they ask if I've been crying. I fear for their ability to cope with just one more small bump in the road, let alone a roadblock as virtually insurmountable as becoming homeless.
(Free tickets to a Rockies game made for a fun afternoon!)I am, and have always been, a firm believer in giving back to the community at large. I strive to do the right thing, not out of fear of punishment, but simply because it is the right thing to do. My apartment floor has seen its share of visitors/friends who would otherwise have slept in their cars, or worse. I have shared the last of my groceries with friends who were in a tight spot with no where to turn. I know what it means to be desperate and would never turn someone away. I am now the one who is desperate, and I hope with all my heart that you won't turn me away.
Should you choose to help, (I hope you do!) and you live in Denver, I will personally bake an Apple Cherry Crumble just for you. If you've never had my Apple Cherry Crumble, you are in for a treat. It is goddamned delicious, if I do say so myself... If you are outside of Denver, I will fold and send to you a beautifully hand-crafted origami flower. If I am able to keep my apartment, everyone who donated will be invited to a house re-warming party to celebrate. Of course, the choice is yours, and I really hope you will choose to help me keep a roof over our heads. Anything you can donate will make a huge difference to me, as well as to both of my amazing children.
(This is Vato, the 4 lb Chihuahua. Adorable!)Organizer
Shawna Bowler
Organizer
Denver, CO
