Back to school without a home

It’s the beginning of another exciting  school year and this morning most kids got up excitedly got dressed in their new clothes, ate a good breakfast and donned their new backpacks full of new supplies. One of my very best students however did not. Because she and her mom (a devoted ESE para for a high school in east Orange County) have been homeless all summer. I had the privilege of becoming this child’s music teacher Last spring.  On top of joining my school choir she also auditioned and was accepted into the Bach Festival Youth Choir And I can honestly say that she Is always one of my most prepared students and has never missed a single rehearsal (An amazing feat considering she has at least four per week between the two ensembles). Her mother would move heaven and earth for her and is tirelessly searching for help but one person can only do so much. The Orange County family shelter is full and while they were put on a waiting list, they were told it could be months. It also takes months for paperwork to be processed for food stamps. 
The average paraprofessional in OCPS makes around $1400/month.  And being a single mom without a home makes getting a second job nearly impossible unless she can bring her daughter with her. 
This family needs help. Short term, money for food, gas, school supplies and shelter would go a long way. In the longer run, they need a very cheap place where they can stay at least a few months until they can get on their feet. As of right now, they are living in their sedan as they have been all summer.  They need something in East Orlando where mom can get to work and daughter can remain in her school. Mom is more than willing to work as a nanny, mentor, or almost any job she can take on after school where her daughter can remain with her and safe. 
 Please help me help this family. Gift cards, monitory donations, shelter, or even just sharing this post would be a huge help. Sadly, I live nearly 50 min from school which will cost too much in gas for them and until I start getting regular paychecks (I’m also a teacher), I can’t offer them much financial assistance.  Thank you for taking the time to read and share!

If you are able to offer jobs, housing assistance or anything outside of go fund me please email me at [email redacted].