Help Ellen & Lizzie Overcome a Dire Financial Situation

Hi! Meet Ellen and Lizzie in the photo above. My name is Jackie and I am raising funds on their behalf. I'm Lizzie's former foster mother and have been part of their support system for the last nine years. Ellen and Lizzie were reunited eight years ago and Lizzie is now 15. This is their story and why I am asking that you join me in helping them. Ellen has granted full permission to share their story in order to help their dire financial and living situation.

We met Lizzie when she was six years old when she entered foster care. Her mom, Ellen, survived two murder attempts by an abusive partner, the second time being run over by a car, hospitalized, and prescribed painkillers that she became addicted to. Ellen worked very hard to get Lizzie back, and Derek, Lizzie's former foster dad, even testified at Ellen's hearing to regain custody after a year in our care.

That wasn't the end of their troubles, though. Ellen is now physically disabled and has been able to work very little since the attempted murders. During the past couple of years, she started suffering from a seizure disorder and now cannot work at all. She's been on waiting lists for rental assistance and low-income housing for years.

In the meantime, she and Lizzie are living on $1,125 per month of disability pay.

Ellen and Lizzie live in an apartment complex that was purchased by a predatory rental company that has raised their rent over $250 in the last three years. They received notice in August that they must begin paying $925/mo. in September or vacate immediately. That leaves $200/mo. for food, heat, electricity, clothes, uniforms for Lizzie's school, field trip money and other school fees... it's simply not enough.

We are working as quickly as possible to get Ellen and Lizzie relief, and Derek and I have helped support the family for many years, taking Lizzie back to school shopping, getting her hair done, and helping with bills.

Now we are asking for your help. Any amount that you donate will go a long way in helping bridge the gap between now and when we can get relief for them (which is an unknown amount of time as HUD waitlists are mostly closed and rent vouchers are hard to come by). 100% of all proceeds will go directly to monthly bills or other necessities for the family.

Derek, his wife Melissa, my husband Ryan and I will be matching the first $1,000 in donations.

Thank you for reading, and thank you in advance for your help. <3