Help a Charlotte family secure a forever home

"The problem with our world is that we draw the circle of family too small" Mother Teresa

This is an experiment in faith and being vulnerable that I am not at all comfortable with but my experience with this unique and worthy family compels me to share their story with all of Charlotte and give everyone the opportunity to make a direct impact on the housing issues that plague our area by permanently solving a crisis for one family tree with enormous branches. I was amazed and brought to tears 3 years ago when a short online fundraiser and small golf outing raised $5,000 to buy a mini-van for this family who I've become extremely close to. Now we're going to try and pull off a much bigger effort for them and one that will make a life-changing impact on 3 generations of Charlotte residents including 11 children aged 6-months to 17-years. I'll do my best to share the most brief version of the whole story here and please ask me if you have any questions.

In 2011, I began tutoring at-risk kids at a public kindergarten through a program at my church. It was the lowest rated school in the state and many of the kids commuted from the nearby homeless women's shelter.  For the first couple of years I faced some very challenging kids with severe behavior or developmental issues. After a few of them either moved away or stopped coming I was paired with Andrew. He lived at the shelter with his mother and EIGHT other siblings.  Even at four years old this young man had the demeanor of a polite 30-year-old and witnessing his ambition, optimism and thirst for knowledge has done as much for me as I could ever hope to do for him or his family. 

Over the years all of my closest friends and family have got to know Andrew and many of his siblings as they join us regularly at church, sporting events, family dinners and special occasions. They have become somewhat of an adopted family we have all contributed to at various times of need. There was the time Andrew broke his front tooth and our dentist friend re-attached it despite their Medicaid having lapsed. Or our friend who is a prominent attorney going to bat for the family against a hotel with shady billing practices and preventing them from being evicted. So many others have helped with transportation, furnishings, school supplies, or even just welcoming them into their homes to play with their own children and treating them with the dignity and care of any other neighborhood friends.

Two years ago we helped secure housing for Andrew's mother who had been homeless or living in hotels with her children and grandchildren. This was made possible with a large government housing grant which enabled them to pay a significant portion of the 3-year lease on the day they moved in. Once this lease ends they will likely be in a similar situation faced with re-entering the women's shelter with all her children unless we can help her establish a housing fund which will allow them to make another lump sum payment to secure a long-term lease or down payment on a house. 

I think it's important to note this family is a proud group of people who have never asked us for money. His mother works 50-60 hours a week at fast-food restaurants and does her best to teach her children the importance of respecting themselves and others. She fully recognizes that much of their circumstances are a result of her having so many children without dedicated fathers. She has made mistakes but has also been taken advantage of and it has taken a long time for my wife and I to earn her trust which we have managed to do simply by loving her and her children.

We have invested the first 10% of the goal ourselves and hope our friends, loved ones and loving strangers will consider contributing. Thank you in advance for giving, sharing the story, or even just asking about it which gives me a chance to reflect on the journey and how far we've come.
 
Derek Whitmire