“Help our 100-year-old neighbor, Mary Sharer, a Beloved Community Elder, Transition to Comfortable, Affordable Housing."

Hi, my name is Melissa Shanley Yetter

I am trying to help raise funds for a well-respected community member facing the loss of her home. What is she to do?

Mary Sharer, a fixture of the Saylorsburg community for decades, is facing the unimaginable: at 100 years old, she is about to be evicted from her home. She has spent a century building a life rooted in our neighborhood, and now, through no fault of her own, that life is at risk of being completely dismantled.

For years, Mary Sharer has been a pillar of kindness and generosity. ALWAYS volunteering her time and energy to help others. She was often the top annual fundraiser for PATH- Pocono Area Transitional Housing. She spent her life being involved in school, church and community.

If you went to Hamilton Elementary in the Stroudsburg School district, she probably served your lunch as she was there for decades! She taught Sunday School for nearly as long. She has always been the first to offer a helping hand to a neighbor in need.

Now, it's our turn to help her. She has been living in her home-right by that stop sign which is always getting knocked down- on corner of 115 and Upper Cherry Valley Road- for 67 years.

She has received an eviction notice from her landlord and must be moved out by November 1st. They placed a "FOR SALE" sign in her front yard. She is completely devastated to say the least!

This began when Mary notified the landlord about the septic system not functioning properly, that a toilet had backed up. The landlord refuses to fix this system and instead, less than a week later, issued an eviction notice to Mary. Essentially forcing this 100 year old woman out on the street!!

The landlord will extend her ability to stay, only temporarily, month to month, without fixing the faulty septic system, by greatly increasing her rent and placing the responsibility & costs of repairing this septic onto Mary herself!

To find a new place, Mary will need -at minimum-

-Money for rental of storage unit for all 100 years of her belongings so they can be sorted through properly.

-Money for First, Last and Deposit on a new place.

-Money to supplement her meager income so she can afford rent for a different home. Rent which would be significantly greater than what she currently pays.

-Money for potential legal fees and an attorney.

-Money to help pay for medical care and physical care for her each day.

Currently, her major caregiver, daughter Joan, has been trying to keep things afloat on her own. She simply does not have the resources to foot all these new expenses, and Mary is medically and physically unable to travel to Joan's primary home in GA.

You may all know Joan from her local history research posts on the Saylorsburg Past and Present Facebook Group. There are over 6 thousand members of that group. You could all help out in a great way.

Does anyone have knowledge of available affordable housing options we could explore? Please help if you can. 100% of funds raised will be for Mary, to properly care for her and transition her comfortably into new housing.

Please donate anything if you can. Please share

Thank you so much.