Food truck

Hello world! My name is Erin and I am a single mother to a wonderful little six year-old boy named Oatis. His interests include robots, legos, stars, mushroom hunting and video games. Oatis is special in many ways, and one of the things that makes him special is that he is autistic. Unfortunately, Oatis isn't able to speak, or tell me how he feels or what he wants. This has made life challenging for us in many ways. Being a single mother to an autistic child has changed my life. I am here because I would like to open a soup truck in Hood River, Oregon. Ladle will be her name. She is a ‘65 Winnebago that was previously used as a food truck, as one of the first ones in the area in 2013. This time, she will be for my own use. I love food. I believe it's one of the languages of true love. Whenever I cook, I cook from the heart and soul, and I gain no greater satisfaction than seeing someone enjoy one of my meals. I am an artist by heart and a professional cook/baker by trade. I've been in the restaurant industry for over 15 years. You name it and I've done it. I've learned so much working in this field. I not only understand the creativity in cuisine, but I also know what works and what doesn't when it comes to feeding the masses. Until COVID I had been able to get by month-to-month, but after having been laid off from my service industry work I am really struggling and I need to create an opportunity for my family. COVID has hit my industry hard, and as Oatis gets older I face the reality that he needs more. He needs speech therapy, occupational therapy and ABA therapy and, unfortunately, in my area the government doesn't provide assistance with this. It's up to me. I see Ladle as an opportunity to provide for all of my child’s needs, while also meeting my changing industry head-on and providing some loving warmth to my community. In order to do all this I need some help. I am asking for $8,000 to get the truck up-and-running with soup warmers, hot plates, a business license, outside extension cords, rent for 3 months, and all the other hundreds of small things it will take to start a small business! Soup brings warmth to the soul. I am ready. I am ready to create a stable and safe future for myself, and for Oatis. We hope that you too can find some warmth and comfort and share a cup of soup with us on this journey! A special thanks to Freshies Bagels and Juice for passing the food truck torch and believing in me..