Dear Friends, Family, and Community,

This is a legitimate fundraiser to support my dear friend Mari. Mari is an exceptionally hard-working woman who cleans houses for a living, and she also helps her daughter, Elizabeth, who has two kids ages 5 months and 16 months.

Mari is the kindest and the nicest person you ever met, with a big heart and bright energy. After knowing her for 30 years, she's like family to me. She is a giving person who would do anything for her friends and family.

Now it's my turn to do something for Mari. Unfortunately, she has fallen on difficult times after becoming ill with long COVID. It's been a long battle to recover from it, both physically and financially, and in addition, she now has a diabetes-related issue with her leg. Both issues have hindered her ability to work as often as she did prior to her illness, plus she has also lost many of her longtime clients.

To help her through this difficult time, I've paid her rent the last couple months – but I don't make enough to continue. The small home Mari and Elizabeth rent costs $1,000 per month, but Mari is now five months behind on rent and just received a three-day notice today: effectively putting her, her daughter, and the babies out on the street. They are lacking even the very basics for these young children, such as a crib, baby clothes, or car seats.

They've been trying to find a shelter to go into – but none are available, and they don't have money to put their belongings in storage. I've done all I can, and now I'm hoping friends and community will help Mari and family get back on their feet. I wish we could post a link to pay her rent directly, but I hope you'll support our GoFundMe instead. Any amount you can contribute will be greatly appreciated by Mari and her family. Thank you, and feel free to share.