A Better Future for Dom, Bella, and Max
Donation protected
Friends and Family,
I am writing to you on behalf of a family in need, a family that is close to all of us. More specifically, I am writing to you on behalf of Dominic, Bella, and Max Lamattina. My simple ask is that you take the time to read and consider their current situation and the opportunity that we all have to make a huge difference in their lives at a critical time of need. To that end, below I have outlined their current situation, an appeal for each of you to consider helping them, and a vision for the positive impact we can make on their reality.
The Current Situation:
As I believe each of you know, Felicia Lamattina, Dominic, Bella, and Max’s mother is gone. She abandoned the children very suddenly last November and there appears to be little hope that she is going to come back into their lives in a meaningful way, which is for the best based on her current situation and state of mind.
When this first happened, there was a mad scramble to find a suitable living situation for Dom, Bella, and Max. At first they lived with Gail and me, with their father, Dave, and Kristen, and Gail (their aunts) taking turns picking them up from school and caring for them on the weekends. Dave immediately went to court to file for an emergency order to get custody and limit Felicia’s visitation rights, while arranging to move into a bigger apartment to have his children live with him. This was completed just before the holidays.
In the best of times, pre-COVID-19, this was a challenging situation. The 3 kids and Dave are living in a small 2 bedroom apartment. Dave’s job requires that he work from 9:00 a.m.– 9:00 p.m. with a 2 hour mid-day break each day of the week except for Friday, when he has the afternoon off. He also needs to work on Saturday mornings. I have reviewed his finances with him. The pay from his job at Tokyo Joe’s, plus cleaning houses during his mid-day breaks each week, provide just enough income to make ends meet. In addition, the hours he works do not allow for him picking up and caring for the kids after school.
After the holidays this year, with the kids back at school, Gail and Kristen took turns watching the kids in the afternoons and evenings on Monday through Thursday until Dave got out of work. Kristen had them at her home on Monday and Tuesday afternoons and evenings. Gail had them at our home on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons and evenings. Gail and Kristen worked to set up a rotating weekend schedule so that Dave could get some time to himself every other weekend. They asked a few people if they could help by taking one weekend every couple of months and found no takers willing to commit, so they set up a rotating schedule between Kristen, Gail, and Ted (Felicia’s Dad and the kids grandfather).
While this situation was working, it was less than ideal. The result was that the kids were getting continually shuffled from house to house throughout the week, and then again every other weekend. And then COVID-19 hit…..
When this happened in early March it threw the workable but less than ideal situation above into complete disarray. The kids are now home each day and need supervision for their home schooling. Ted and his wife Nicole decided in early March that they could not be exposed to the children due to the COVID-19 risk and Nicole’s employer requiring that she stay quarantined (she works as a nanny). Gail and I made a similar decision two weekends ago for our own personal safety. Kristen has made the decision to forego her personal safety for the love of the children and now has the kids at her house every day of the week, with her partner Rob helping them with their home schooling. This is a big load to carry considering she has a full time job, but she is strong and managing through it with as much patience, love, and compassion as she can muster.
An Appeal for Help:
I believe that every child deserves to feel loved and wanted and to get the very best their parents can give them. With that maternal parental obligation now broken, and Dave being a single parent with demanding work hours, it is going to require a TEAM to get the job done. We will never change what has happened to Dominic, Bella, and Max, nor will we replace their mother, but we can do our very best to make them feel loved and wanted and to provide a more stable living situation.
Dave is working long and hard to make barely enough money to provide lodging and food for his family. Gail, and Kristen, with support from Rob and I, are helping as best we can, contributing love, time, and money. We need help…any help you can give, no matter how small. If we all pull together and everyone helps just a little, we can make a huge difference and a big improvement in the current situation and in Dominic, Bella, and Max’s lives, now and into the future.
There are two things each of you can do to help the cause, and I ask you to consider contributing whatever you can of your two most precious assets, time and money. Offering to take the kids once a day or for a weekend overnight once every 2-3 months would help a lot and give Dave a break every other weekend without that obligation falling back on Kristen and Gail, who have them during the week. We could also make a huge difference with some collective financial support. To that end I have set up a Go Fund Me page and donated $1,000 to get the ball rolling. I have listed a few ideas for what we can do with that money below.
A Vision for the Positive Impact We Can Make:
I would love to work with any of you who are willing to help create a better living situation for Dave and the kids. With a number of people making a small monthly contribution, we could help subsidize rent at a 3 bedroom home or apartment. Another thought I have is to buy a house as an investment property with Dave paying the rent. I would be willing to make up any shortfall. It is not a big jump from the rent he presently pays for his small apartment in Nashua to a reasonable 3 bedroom home in Hudson or another local community. With this more stable home situation and a reasonable living space, those helping Dave care for the kids would be able to watch them at Dave and the kid’s home versus shuffling them from house to house. Last but not least this small monthly commitment from a number of us could also help fund a nanny or other after-school care to help with the kids.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and considering the difference we can make for Dominic, Bella, and Max, and for OUR FAMILY. 10 to 15 years from now, Dom, Max, and Bella will be adults. We are going to see them. Let’s all envision looking back proudly at the difference we made when it counted.
Thank You,
Uncle Ron
I am writing to you on behalf of a family in need, a family that is close to all of us. More specifically, I am writing to you on behalf of Dominic, Bella, and Max Lamattina. My simple ask is that you take the time to read and consider their current situation and the opportunity that we all have to make a huge difference in their lives at a critical time of need. To that end, below I have outlined their current situation, an appeal for each of you to consider helping them, and a vision for the positive impact we can make on their reality.
The Current Situation:
As I believe each of you know, Felicia Lamattina, Dominic, Bella, and Max’s mother is gone. She abandoned the children very suddenly last November and there appears to be little hope that she is going to come back into their lives in a meaningful way, which is for the best based on her current situation and state of mind.
When this first happened, there was a mad scramble to find a suitable living situation for Dom, Bella, and Max. At first they lived with Gail and me, with their father, Dave, and Kristen, and Gail (their aunts) taking turns picking them up from school and caring for them on the weekends. Dave immediately went to court to file for an emergency order to get custody and limit Felicia’s visitation rights, while arranging to move into a bigger apartment to have his children live with him. This was completed just before the holidays.
In the best of times, pre-COVID-19, this was a challenging situation. The 3 kids and Dave are living in a small 2 bedroom apartment. Dave’s job requires that he work from 9:00 a.m.– 9:00 p.m. with a 2 hour mid-day break each day of the week except for Friday, when he has the afternoon off. He also needs to work on Saturday mornings. I have reviewed his finances with him. The pay from his job at Tokyo Joe’s, plus cleaning houses during his mid-day breaks each week, provide just enough income to make ends meet. In addition, the hours he works do not allow for him picking up and caring for the kids after school.
After the holidays this year, with the kids back at school, Gail and Kristen took turns watching the kids in the afternoons and evenings on Monday through Thursday until Dave got out of work. Kristen had them at her home on Monday and Tuesday afternoons and evenings. Gail had them at our home on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons and evenings. Gail and Kristen worked to set up a rotating weekend schedule so that Dave could get some time to himself every other weekend. They asked a few people if they could help by taking one weekend every couple of months and found no takers willing to commit, so they set up a rotating schedule between Kristen, Gail, and Ted (Felicia’s Dad and the kids grandfather).
While this situation was working, it was less than ideal. The result was that the kids were getting continually shuffled from house to house throughout the week, and then again every other weekend. And then COVID-19 hit…..
When this happened in early March it threw the workable but less than ideal situation above into complete disarray. The kids are now home each day and need supervision for their home schooling. Ted and his wife Nicole decided in early March that they could not be exposed to the children due to the COVID-19 risk and Nicole’s employer requiring that she stay quarantined (she works as a nanny). Gail and I made a similar decision two weekends ago for our own personal safety. Kristen has made the decision to forego her personal safety for the love of the children and now has the kids at her house every day of the week, with her partner Rob helping them with their home schooling. This is a big load to carry considering she has a full time job, but she is strong and managing through it with as much patience, love, and compassion as she can muster.
An Appeal for Help:
I believe that every child deserves to feel loved and wanted and to get the very best their parents can give them. With that maternal parental obligation now broken, and Dave being a single parent with demanding work hours, it is going to require a TEAM to get the job done. We will never change what has happened to Dominic, Bella, and Max, nor will we replace their mother, but we can do our very best to make them feel loved and wanted and to provide a more stable living situation.
Dave is working long and hard to make barely enough money to provide lodging and food for his family. Gail, and Kristen, with support from Rob and I, are helping as best we can, contributing love, time, and money. We need help…any help you can give, no matter how small. If we all pull together and everyone helps just a little, we can make a huge difference and a big improvement in the current situation and in Dominic, Bella, and Max’s lives, now and into the future.
There are two things each of you can do to help the cause, and I ask you to consider contributing whatever you can of your two most precious assets, time and money. Offering to take the kids once a day or for a weekend overnight once every 2-3 months would help a lot and give Dave a break every other weekend without that obligation falling back on Kristen and Gail, who have them during the week. We could also make a huge difference with some collective financial support. To that end I have set up a Go Fund Me page and donated $1,000 to get the ball rolling. I have listed a few ideas for what we can do with that money below.
A Vision for the Positive Impact We Can Make:
I would love to work with any of you who are willing to help create a better living situation for Dave and the kids. With a number of people making a small monthly contribution, we could help subsidize rent at a 3 bedroom home or apartment. Another thought I have is to buy a house as an investment property with Dave paying the rent. I would be willing to make up any shortfall. It is not a big jump from the rent he presently pays for his small apartment in Nashua to a reasonable 3 bedroom home in Hudson or another local community. With this more stable home situation and a reasonable living space, those helping Dave care for the kids would be able to watch them at Dave and the kid’s home versus shuffling them from house to house. Last but not least this small monthly commitment from a number of us could also help fund a nanny or other after-school care to help with the kids.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and considering the difference we can make for Dominic, Bella, and Max, and for OUR FAMILY. 10 to 15 years from now, Dom, Max, and Bella will be adults. We are going to see them. Let’s all envision looking back proudly at the difference we made when it counted.
Thank You,
Uncle Ron
Organizer
Ron Dupler
Organizer
Hollis, NH