Help a homeless family at Christmas

Hi, my name is Mark and I'm raising money to help a homeless family- my childhood best friend Travis, his wife Stefany, and their 3 young kids (pictured), ages 5, 6, & 10. I'm trying to get them into a home, provide them reliable food & resources for their kids, and maybe have enough left over to even provide their kids some Christmas gifts.

Their story: This little family has had about the worst year you can imagine. They are currently homeless after a series of unavoidable emergencies led to them being evicted from their home when they were simply unable to catch up on bills. Stefany has a chronic health condition that led to severe sickness and hospitalization for a brief period, which pushed things over the edge. They then traveled cross-country from Alabama after a friend said they could live with her here in Missouri- only to have that friend ghost them once they'd built an entire plan around the promise. They are currently living out of a motel in Neosho, Missouri, with no family or community to help them. I have been very very blessed by the generous community here in Joplin, and I'm asking it now to gather around this family.

The wife has a remote job which she's been grateful to still have- but her paycheck is consumed by the cost of the motel, and they can't get any government aid, enroll their kids in school, or get the taxes on her check cut down from Alabama rates to Missouri ones, due to not having a current address here. He can't look for a job bc they have no car, and is needed to help with the kids while she works. If they have to resort to a shelter, they'll be separated as a family (generally the man is required to stay elsewhere) and she won't be able to keep her job- which is the only stability they have left.

In short, they've called and researched every option they could find, and they're just stuck.

Needs met by this fundraiser: They are currently living in a motel, unable to do laundry, afford hot meals, or buy other necessities like shoes for their kiddos- let alone provide any kind of Christmas gifts for them. Small donations have helped carry them, but we need to raise a really solid amount of money to be able to help them climb out of the vicious cycle they're in right now.

Money from this fundraiser would:

The TOP goal is to get them into a home. Here's a breakdown of how the money would help:

-provide them enough $ to not have to worry about food costs

-get them enough money to be able to pay rent and put down a security deposit if they can find a renter that will accept them (which will then stretch her paycheck a lot farther).

-cover other immediate needs, like expensive medicine Stefany has to take

-money for a rental also gets them a physical address which then qualifies them to apply for other aid

-saving toward a car so they have reliable transportation

-school supplies, etc once the kids can get into a school

Other needs outside financial support:

If you are unable to give financially but still want to help in one of these ways- please reach out to Mark Neuenschwander.

Any lead on an affordable rental home in the Joplin or Neosho area:

this family is NOT picky; they just need a generous renter who will give them a chance during a rough time. With the recent eviction on their record and limited funds, we have not been able to find them a landlord who will accept them. Just forwarding listings isn't super helpful, bc they can find those on their own- we need a personal connection to someone who has a home or partial home available.

Hot meals delivered:

If you can deliver a meal or two for a family of 5 to Neosho, I know that'd be super appreciated.

Clothes for the kids: They could use more clothing/winter wear, especially shoes- sizes 5/6 & 11.

A Car: yep, that's a big one... but again, they're not picky, anything that runs would be an enormous help.

Furniture: This will only be helpful when they're in a place of their own, but when that time comes, they'll be starting over and will definitely need beds, tables, chairs, etc.

Questions?

If you have any questions about this family or their needs- please feel free to reach out.