Help Brighten the Holidays for a Durham Family

Hello,

Again this year, I am asking friends and neighbors to kindly contribute to a wonderful Durham family who could use a little financial help during the holidays. Details of their circumstances are below. Some of you reading this may remember their story and may have contributed to campaigns I have managed on behalf of the family through the years, which is greatly appreciated.

Update: Areli is a senior in high school with plans to attend Durham Tech after she graduates, which is awesome. As far as anyone knows, she would be the first in her family to attend college! Her aunt still struggles financially, still lives paycheck to paycheck, and still has to miss work to tend to her son who is frequently ill, which puts her in a bind. But she’s making it. Renewed fears of deportation and concerns about anti-immigrant hate have resurfaced after the election, which is sadly causing tremendous anxiety. I try to help them out however I can, and I’m hoping you can pitch in a little to help make Christmas a little brighter for them. Thanks in advance.

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

From Christmas 2023:

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 Areli’s aunt needs most. She just can't get jobs that pay enough to support her children and Areli. 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 (Areli 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.

Thanks again! -Stephen