Now u see me..Now you don't..Again..Again..Again

Hi my name is Tenaya Stephens and I'm actually fundraising for my family on the suggestions of my neighbors!!! My hubby, my 11 year old son and I along with our service dogs, 3 year old Alaskan Husky, Junior(Junie) and our 11 year old Jack Russell Terrier, Daisy Mae(Mae Mae) have been homeless for about 3 years now, at the hands of someone else. That's not all this story is about!!! My journey has a lot of chapters to it, we will wait for my book to be a best seller to visit that, but i am fundraising for one specific chapter, the current chapter. January 5, 2024, at 11:46pm, fifteen minutes after I pulled in, our truck was STOLEN from the parking lot of the LaQuinta inn and suites journal center where we were staying at. We have always stayed at a hotel during Christmas break for my son to chill and relax before school starts up again and this time was no different we had problems with the hotel from the get-go but at the end of the day everything was all right until Friday night. About 2:15am on January 6, 2024 we realized that it was gone (AGAIN!!). This was the 3rd time it has been stolen and the 2nd time it was stolen from a motel parking lot, while being a guest there. Motels have signs up all around their property that they are not responsible for the stolen property or belongings. So they wash there hands of it. While my family is in destraut from the truck being gone. That was our home, our work truck, our everything. It's not worth a whole lot blue book value, but to us it was priceless. The bed was full of what we had left from our storage being sold illegally back in November 2023. Our storage unit had everything that made us who we r and everything we have worked hard for and of course our priceless memories of our life that we have built together. So the truck had whatever we had left, basically our clothes on our back and a few other outfits, a few tools, alot of my craft obsessions, like my sticker collection, paper collection and some more craft things. I had some of my father's belongings in there from cleaning out his home recently since he just passed in August, Christmas presents, our wolf chow chow mix dogs ashes and just stuff we had on us to survive. It wasn't worth anything to anybody but to us it was all we had left of our possessions. We are currently staying at the Days inn north in Albuquerque, NM next to the Laquinta where the truck got stolen from, basically on our dime and any money we can gather up. We have no help from our families due to they have their own problems and own money struggles. We have had a few donations come in to help us stay afloat at the hotel but without a truck we don't work. Our truck was our money!!! School starts January 10, 2024 and that is a big obstacle to figure out. We are struggling to get him to and from school. We have called every resource that Albuquerque has to offer the homeless community and for the 3rd time thru all the resources we come up empty handed again. There's no beds open at any shelter that will keep all of us together or even if we separated there's no beds available. So if we don't keep our room at the Days inn we are literally on the sidewalk on door with my son and 2 pups. No tent, no blankets, no nothing to keep us warm. This time around, our truck being stolen really put us in a huge bind that we are not sure how to get ourselves out of it. There is why I am fundraising for my family. We need to keep our room as long as possible or until our truck is recovered if it is. We need to get clothing for all of us and we need to figure out transportation for my son to and from school. We as a family or as individuals do not beg or ask for help normally. We believe in doing it ourselves but this situation we don't see anyway to get thru it warm, safely, and sanely and not hungry, unclothed, and cold. We won't ask for certain things or any certain amount cuz we do know and understand that everyone has their own issues, drama, money struggles and just flat out they have their own lives. We are very appreciative for anything, no matter what kind of help it is. We are literally at the mercy of everyone else, but we are so thankful for what everyone has done for us and said to us that we could t be more blessed with the support coming to us so far. We believe in paying it forward and believe you me, we do every chance we get. So if you can and you want to please help us out however you can cuz every thing will amount to something that we will use, be grateful for and pay it forward!!!

***UPDATE***

Here's an update on our situation since our truck was stolen!! As of January 25, 2024, today, there has been one sighting of our truck at a motel down the street. After the 3rd time trying to catch my truck there, it turns out it was my trucks twin, looked identical to mine down to the same broken windows as mine, but it was newer. My truck is a 96 and that one was like an early 2000 model. So after that false hope there has been no sightings, no leads, cops don't have anything and tow yards sure don't have anything. I have people canvasing Albuquerque for it but no such luck. So school is full swing and my son gets to school and back everyday, thanks to the help of his 5th grade teacher. She called and offered to do anything and everything for my son, just to make it easier for us. We are still at the Days Inn north on Ellison. We have been staying afloat due to donations from people who have utterly surprised us!!!! We have to order everything delivery cuz we can't seem to get a ride to the store and also we are a ways away from the bus line. So the donations are going to just everyday expenses.

The good news is that Tenaya got a job, 7minutes away walking, at a restaurant near by. She got hired last Friday and was working by Saturday. She doesn't get paid till February 6, 2024. We get our cash assistance check the 1st. So we need to stay afloat till then. We have,5-6 days before I get paid, but we are coming to the end of our donations, and we don't have any more help. I am so grateful for everyone who has donated to our emergency cause so far and I consider all of them a brite star in our darkest hour. We just need a little bit more help just 6 days of living be forever we can start trying to stand on our own 2 feet. We want to be self sufficient by all meanings of the word, yes it's gonna take some time but I'm not that patience for time. So I work double overtime to be on our own 2 feet. So I'm not begging but I am asking for any amount to be donated to our cause just to keep us in our room at the motel just until I get paid on the 1st and then the 6th. Our room runs 70-80$ a day. They price match so we are always on the look out for a cheaper price. The hotel doesn't let anyone pay cash or over the phone add to our existing reservation. We have found that the best way to donate to our cause. We can produce receipts to show the donor what we do with the money but please consider donating anything to our cause to keep us warm and housed until our truck is recovered or until I get paid from work.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts !!!

The Stephens Crew

Kyle, Tenaya, Tyler, Junie, and Daisy

Please and thank you for your kind words and whatever help you can give!!!

One last thing can you please forward this to as many people as you can to help get the word out about our cause. With everyone's donation, you will be part of the solution not the problem and you guys helped one family stay off the streets literally!!!!!

All the funds that are donated to us goes for our basic living expenses.

**Hotel room $$68-78 a nite**

**Food $$50 day, includes dog food**

**Misc.$20 a day for misc stuff like laundry or anything my son needs, (if anything)

We are very simple people and lead simple lives. We don't spend money on ourselves at all except occasionally my son needs a new Xbox controller or something like that, but right now, not making our own money, we strictly paying our good and shelter. It's better than the alternative of being out literally on the streets and we are very y blessed to have the donors that we fo have cuz it's been a messed up situation that each of our donors shine a light in us and brings a smile to our face!!!

Thank you again!!!!