Hello,

I'm asking my friends and neighbors to kindly contribute to a wonderful Durham family who could use a little financial help. Details of their circumstances are below. I set up this particular GoFundMe campaign to help make the holidays a little brighter. Many of my friends contributed, which is greatly appreciated.

I decided to keep it going for a while, as they continue to struggle to make ends meet, living paycheck to paycheck. I hope to eventually help them build savings they can tap into so it’s not so stressful when unexpected expenses arise. Please contribute if you’re able to.

Backstory:

A few years ago I was part of a small group working behind the scenes to do what we could to help out some of our more vulnerable neighbors during a time of frequent ICE raids and subsequent heightened fear and risk.

I introduced you to Areli (not her real name) back then, a young girl whose mother had recently unexpectedly died. Although Areli was born and raised in Durham, her parents were undocumented immigrants. Her father fled the area a year prior when ICE raids became common. After her mom died, Areli moved in with her only known nearby relative, an aunt who also lives in Durham, also undocumented, with young children of her own. At the time, Areli's aunt was unemployed, struggling to pay bills, and fearful of reaching out for help. My friends stepped up to the plate to help her put food on the table and buy back-to-school supplies for Areli.

Updates (from previous campaigns):

Christmastime, 2021: Areli is still living with her aunt and cousins. They haven't been able to track down her dad. Thankfully, the ICE raids have stopped. I check in with them every now and then and recently learned that the aunt is presently struggling to make ends meet, even though she's working as a housekeeper in various hotels. She lost most of her jobs during the worst of the pandemic when hotel jobs were few and far between and found herself in a hole that she hasn't been able to climb out of. She’s barely able to pay rent and is several months behind on most of her bills. I’ve helped her navigate whatever local programs she might qualify for and introduced her to various charities in town. Still, she could sure use some cash to help with Christmas presents and basic needs and, hopefully, start the new year under a little less stress.

This is a beautiful and resilient family; the aunt is hardworking and doing the best she can to raise her own small children and, now, also her teenage niece, probably too proud to ask for help herself (also still fearful to draw attention to herself), but I will gladly do so on her behalf. Please help if you can. Thanks! -Stephen

Update from last year:

I am reaching out to you about a family many of you have helped out by contributing to other GoFundMe campaigns I’ve managed on their behalf in the past. I’m asking you to pitch in a little more if you can.

Some of you have also asked me to keep you up to date on how they’re doing. All things considered, they are doing well. Areli is in high school and making good grades and staying busy being a teenager. But her aunt still struggles to make ends meet, even though she works, most times two jobs. They could always use a little help. Money is tight during the best of times, but whenever the aunt has to miss work or there’s an unexpected expense, things get really hard. She only reaches out to me to ask for my help when she’s in dire straits.

Unfortunately, this is one of those times. She had to miss quite a bit of work recently to take care of her sick son. That really set her back; not just doctor bills but lost wages. I do what I can to help, but I can only do so much. So I do what I know to do: set up a GoFundMe campaign and ask friends and neighbors to help too. Thanks. -Stephen

Note: We’ve tapped into local resources, public and private, including El Centro, churches, and more. There's very little in the way of cash support, which is what Ariel’s aunt needs most. She just can't get jobs that pay enough to support her children and Ariel. Most months they're ok but there's no margin for error. If she misses a couple of shifts or her son gets sick (which he frequently does) and they incur some medical costs, it's a struggle to make rent and put food on the table. These GoFundMe campaigns have really made a big difference these past few years. She's been close to being evicted a couple of times and never has enough for Christmas presents (Ariel is 17 and her two cousins are ~8 and 4, so Christmas is still a big deal, especially for the little ones). Friends and neighbors have always stepped up to the plate and saved the day.