I have known Gia (not real name to protect privacy) for around a decade, when she and her daughter came to Puerto Rico to volunteer in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. She and her kids have been my guests in Puerto Rico many times and I know this family very well. I'd like to start by giving you a little background on who Gia is before getting into the predicament. Gia has experienced nothing but trauma since she was a young child. Her mother was an addict and she was taken by the state at 5 years old. What ensued was a childhood of being shuffled around the foster care system, never really finding safety. Of course, there are more details that would make your stomach turn, but I would like to respect Gia's privacy as much as possible. At age 20, her mother took her own life and Gia was tasked with cleaning up the aftermath. As an adult, Gia gave birth to a wonderful daughter but the father was very abusive. He tried to cut her throat and attacked her with their little baby girl in her arms. He was violent and dangerous, things that Gia had dealt with her whole life, but she determined her daughter deserved a better childhood than she had, so Gia and her lovely girl set out on their own to build a life. Becoming a mother transformed Gia and she became committed to improving her circumstances for both her and her daughter. In that vein, Gia returned to school and worked her way up, embarking on a 25 year career in HR, with some time in the middle as a social worker. Without child support or any real family, Gia managed to raise an amazing daughter. The two of them have given so much of their time and energy to others. Wherever there was a need, they were there together volunteering. If Gia had $5 left and you needed it, she would give it. Gia has also done much to support other women, often promoting their businesses or lifting them up in other ways. For someone who came from disadvantage (to put it mildly), Gia has improved the lives of others, as both a career and a "hobby", because she truly wants others to have the assistance and support that she never had. Gia's daughter, Hope, is a sweet, super intelligent 18 year old now with a big heart. She began an animal rescue group at age 10 and she reads profusely. She graduated high school a year early and won a scholarship for college but had to drop out to help out. Because she had to move around so much of her childhood, she was bullied often and never was able to make friends due to extreme shyness. Gia's 5 year old son, Nathan, is very Autistic and was nonverbal for a long time. Gia's commitment to working with him has resulted in remarkable improvements. So, what happened? About a year ago, the company Gia worked for in HR went out of business. Because they live in SC, transitional help and worker's rights are very limited. In the wake of the company closing, Gia moved her family to a more affordable apartment and began school to become an aesthetician, with the goal of opening a spa. She also took every opportunity she could to work, just as she always has, and did everything from DoorDash to pet sitting while the business got off the ground. Well, the economy is very challenging right now and people are cutting back on luxury items and extras and this did not bode well for the spa. While they did begin to develop regular clientele, they could never make enough money to keep the business afloat. They are still trying though! In the last few years, Gia has had more than one heart attack despite being in her 40's. The stress of losing her job and seeing her business fail present a health risk for her. However, the family is now losing their apartment. I don't want to be too specific here other than to say they were up to date on rent and good tenants, but they witnessed the property manager doing something that endangered the tenants and filed a complaint. The result was the beginning of an eviction process. The property management tried to use the threat of eviction to silence them because they offered to stop eviction proceedings if Gia agreed not to sue them or file charges and to remove her complaint to the Better Business Bureau and even Google reviews, among other demands. Gia no longer feels it is a safe place for her and her children and tomorrow, Sept. 15th, they and their little dog will become homeless. I understand this is a very long story and thank you for reading it. I felt it was important to give background so people can understand that these are remarkable and deserving people who have fallen on hard times, despite their best efforts. They have applied for every program available and were turned down. The United Way told them there are just so many people in need and funds keep getting cut for these programs, so they run out of money fast. I have personally seen the rejection letters and all correspondence. It is a despicable way to treat people. Throughout everything, they have never stopped trying to support themselves, even as they were beaten down by their circumstances. I am setting up this fundraiser with the intent of helping them get into safer, more permanent housing so they can sleep in beds instead of their car while they figure out their next steps. Also, Nathan requires special food pouches due to his Autism and they are expensive. Any amount at all is helpful and appreciated. This family has helped so many other people and animals, now it is their turn to have some help.

Thank you!