Donate to Secure Shelter for Bree and Her Children

Hello, supporters. Thank you for finding our story and hoping to get to know us, or simply help us find a bit of stability.

I’m Bree, I’m 25 and currently a student at UMA online schooling for medical billing and coding, and I also clean for a living to support my kids.

I have 3 children, Jace 10, Ava 8, and Aubree almost 2.

Jace I conceived at 14 and it wasn’t by choice; his dad was a much older man.

Ava I conceived at 16, and Aubree at 22 from SA.

We finally fled my domestic violence relationship after 5 years of abuse every day, and haven’t turned back since.

A CPO was offered, I left my home, and he took everything back and away.

We lost everything and couldn’t take anything with us.

I had to save me and my kids before he took me away from them.

Before fleeing, we were stable; we had a home, we had a running car, and I was able to work full time.

Since fleeing, me and my kiddos have been staying in our vehicle, and when I can find enough work, I cover hotel expenses.

I'm waiting for Hively and Bananas to secure Aubree’s childcare, but they are expecting the first month's tuition before Hively subsidy can even help.

Because I lack childcare, I can’t work full time, only allowing me to work part-time housecleaning where my hours are flexible and I can create my own schedule.

I have many social workers, I’m enrolled in many programs and agencies, all for the system to keep failing us. I call 211 daily, and also go down my list of shelters, calling twice a day. I’ve applied for low-income housing only to get put on the waitlist and have hopes of being picked by their lottery system, but the homeless rate here in Oakland is high and it’s tough to get in anywhere.

We’ve already used every hotel voucher out here we can think of and cannot qualify for any more extensions until fall next year.

Recently, we’ve had to relocate out of our vehicle as it’s storm season and the car doesn’t run, so we had no heat, no clean clothes, no food, nor any way to run the car.

We’ve been helped with a temporary hotel and we will have to check out soon and we still haven’t found an option.

I’ve posted looking for rooms for rent, somebody willing to trade shelter or housing for my cleaning services, shelters with actual availability for a mom and 3 kids. I’ve contacted the social service office, St. Vincent de Paul, McKinney Vento; we are enrolled in so many programs and still no luck.

We are struggling tremendously, recently creating a Nextdoor account. The community wants to come together to support us in this journey of finding stability after fleeing.

If you are curious how donating to a homeless family, single mama with kiddos will help, some things I would like to share:

Hotel rates weekly: $786 before tax, before $100 weekly deposit

Bus passes: $60/each for kids, $120/transbay adult

Bart fare to get to school

Car repair: $540

Warm meals: $30-$45/meal

If we cannot afford a hotel, we will have to get supplies to set up a tent.

We will need:

A tent, blankets, towels, an air bed with pump, small grill, charcoal, clean clothes, and personal hygiene.

Diapers, wipes, baby wash

Housing Leads:

Pending move-in for 2 bedroom apartment (low income) could be a 2-3 month wait because we are waiting for Oakland Housing Authority to do calculations, inspections, and I have to figure out the rent and deposit for move-in.

1 bedroom w/ bathroom for rent being offered for $1200/mo but this renter is worried about me and 3 kids being in 1 room

1 bedroom, shared bathroom $1000/mo with $500 deposit

Please consider donating to help secure a hotel, or room for rent for the week. We have nowhere to go and I’ve exhausted all options. For direct support, please consider donating via Venmo @BREEHEARTSJACE or PayPal @BREEMJOHNSON

I'm working on an Amazon list for clothing and our direct needs.

Again, thank you, please share, please donate. We love you all so much.

- Bree, Jace, Ava, and Aubree