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***9/22/23 Update: Thanks so much for your help! We made it halfway, which allowed us to pay $125 - housing application; $250 - housing deposit; $260 - health insurance; and $1,375 - meal plan… and he has been granted a room for this quarter!! Still need to come up with the remaining balance, but so pleased with where we are.***
This year, for my 45th birthday, I’m inviting friends to join me in procuring (3 months of) room and board for a young South African student athlete who is enrolled and attending Life University, but is currently homeless, alternating between living out of a car and a tent.
Backstory: About three years ago we met a young man at FCA camp - a student athlete at Life from South Africa and he became a treasured friend to our family. Recently, he connected me with his friend - Sapho (pictured above) - who is also South African, and is also attending Life University.
Currently: there’s a lengthy story over the past year+ that includes hard work and resilience amidst challenges of undelivered promises of financial support; difficulty finding employment that adequately covers living expenses due to having a student visa and not having a vehicle - and thus only being able to work low-paying, on-campus jobs; lack of a local support system; medical expenses back home incurred from his mother’s recent stroke; taking any available small job; maintaining a class load; competing in track; affording a small apartment; losing the apartment; periods of couch-surfing; and most recently - homelessness and going without food.
The ask: $4,085.00 - would provide 3 months of on-campus housing and food… while he can continue to complete his education and work on finding additional employment.
$125 - one-time housing application
$250 - housing que deposit
$260 - health insurance required by the university for all international students
$2,200 - double occupancy room, per quarter $1,200 - meal plan
—-----------
$4,085.00
An additional $3,400 (total $7,485) would provide for 6 months of room and board.
If you would rather give directly to his school housing account (which is what I will be doing with the funds), I can help facilitate that for you - just contact me directly.
Thanks so much,
Mindy
This year, for my 45th birthday, I’m inviting friends to join me in procuring (3 months of) room and board for a young South African student athlete who is enrolled and attending Life University, but is currently homeless, alternating between living out of a car and a tent.
Backstory: About three years ago we met a young man at FCA camp - a student athlete at Life from South Africa and he became a treasured friend to our family. Recently, he connected me with his friend - Sapho (pictured above) - who is also South African, and is also attending Life University.
Currently: there’s a lengthy story over the past year+ that includes hard work and resilience amidst challenges of undelivered promises of financial support; difficulty finding employment that adequately covers living expenses due to having a student visa and not having a vehicle - and thus only being able to work low-paying, on-campus jobs; lack of a local support system; medical expenses back home incurred from his mother’s recent stroke; taking any available small job; maintaining a class load; competing in track; affording a small apartment; losing the apartment; periods of couch-surfing; and most recently - homelessness and going without food.
The ask: $4,085.00 - would provide 3 months of on-campus housing and food… while he can continue to complete his education and work on finding additional employment.
$125 - one-time housing application
$250 - housing que deposit
$260 - health insurance required by the university for all international students
$2,200 - double occupancy room, per quarter $1,200 - meal plan
—-----------
$4,085.00
An additional $3,400 (total $7,485) would provide for 6 months of room and board.
If you would rather give directly to his school housing account (which is what I will be doing with the funds), I can help facilitate that for you - just contact me directly.
Thanks so much,
Mindy