Help for a Burn Surviving Single Dad

Chris Tomlinson is a burn survivor who is also a single father of two teenage girls. In the last seven years, the three have been displaced and traveled up and down the east coast seeking shelter. During this time, Chris has desperately searched for a job but has not been successful due largely to society's view of his disability. In February 2022, this family finally found housing through section 8. Chris currently supports himself and two children with $800 a month, or $400 after the cost of housing.

The money from this fundraiser will go to Chris Tomlinson to be used for basic necessities for his family; including shelter, food, and bills. Their story can be viewed by clicking here .

 

Our Ask

 

Our ask is that anybody who would like to help Chris and his family considers contributing $20 to this fundraiser. A large amount of people giving this amount will greatly increase their quality of life.

 

The Disbursement of Funds

 

Since Chris is on SSI income of $800 a month, the disbursement of funds will look a little bit different than the typical SBSK fundraiser where the person just receives the lump sum. It is USA law that any person receiving SSI cannot have assets totaling more than $2000. I find this law abhorrent, but that is a conversation for another time. Fortunately their exists something called an ABLE account, which allows for an annual contribution of $16,000 without hurting a person's SSI eligibility. Simply put, this allows us to fundraise for Chris and his children without putting them at risk of losing their benefits. You can learn more about ABLE accounts by clicking here .

 

This means that the first $16,000 raised will be contributed instantly to Chris' ABLE account. Any amount after that will have to wait to January 1, 2023 to be added. For example, if the total of this fundraiser is $30,000, we can add $16,000 to his account instantly and the other $14,000 the first of 2023. 100% of these funds will be added to Chris' ABLE account over time. 

 

The way the distribution is setup will provide instant financial security for Chris and also allow him to keep his benefits.

 

The Summary

 

All of the money raised through this GoFundMe will go to Chris Tomlinson and be used for basic necessities. This will allow him to focus on his children without the constant stress of financial uncertainty. Thank you so much for your love and support of Chris, and our many other SBSK friends. Together we continue to make a tremendous impact on many across the world. This would not be possible without your kindness and generosity.