- V
I don’t like asking for help— but this isn’t for me. A family I know is in a truly desperate situation, and so I’m turning to my network of friends.
Meet Eva. She was my ‘Little Sister’ through Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee back when Frank & I lived in Knoxville. She was 10 when we were paired up, and now she’s 16.
(If you don’t have time to read, here’s the short story: Eva’s dad died recently and her mom’s restaurant job dried up in the pandemic. Mom and her six kids - five of whom are under 18 - have no source of income. If you can pitch in $5, you can help literally sustain their very existence. Thank you! If you have time for a back story, read on.)
Eva lived in Knoxville with her four brothers and parents, and even though they had very little— they had each other. I remember a sunny afternoon three years ago spent on a picnic blanket in their yard, shortly before Frank and I moved to California. We made slime and ate ice cream bars, and later Frank threw around a softball with the boys in the field across the street. Afterward, we walked to a playground and played tag. It was a great day.
Eva and I have kept in occasional touch, but just a couple of months ago I got a distressed text from her, unlike any I’d received before. The family was going through a tough time and needed some money. She’d never made that request of me before.
When I called to ask Eva about her current situation, I learned her dad died about a year ago. He was the family’s sole source of income, so they moved down to Alabama to be closer to some others they know. Her mom got a job at a local restaurant, but early this spring she had to take a leave of absence to get some surgery. When she recovered - the pandemic had settled in, and her job was no longer available.
Eva also has an older sister. The two sisters, four brothers and mom - seven people - are living in a trailer in rural Alabama, with no income. All of the kids are under 18, except for Eva’s sister. Rent is a few hundred dollars a month.
I’ve helped out a few times— we have a system down where I send the money to the local Walmart and Eva and her mom pick it up. But Frank and I can’t afford to support this family alone anymore, and it sounds like Eva’s friends/family down there aren’t in a position to help either. We’re not looking to sustain them forever— but I also don’t know when things are going to turn up for them. Restaurant jobs aren’t plentiful right now in a terrible, pandemic-ravaged economy.
I’m asking for $5. If we went out for happy hour and you bought me a beer— that’s all I’m asking for.
Here’s my disclaimer. There’s no oversight for your donation, other than me guaranteeing it'll get into the hands of this mom (the transfer is in her name and her ID is needed for pick-up). No corporate governance board will be accounting for every penny I send to this family and report back that it was spent on, say, groceries or rent. I won’t be able to give you benchmarks and say with certainty that a medical bill has been paid off or that your contribution has made their lives better. Communication with the family is very difficult— Eva has spotty access to cell phones/internet/WiFi.
All I can do is say that by donating, you’re giving to the very real possibility that you’re paying for this family’s groceries and rent— and, for me, that possibility is enough.
Thank you for considering it! And if you can’t give, then maybe you’d be willing to help me reach out to some local non-profits I’ve identified in her area. I am running on fumes right now in my life and would sure love some help in helping this family. Anything you could do is appreciated. Thanks for reading!
Eva and I have kept in occasional touch, but just a couple of months ago I got a distressed text from her, unlike any I’d received before. The family was going through a tough time and needed some money. She’d never made that request of me before.
When I called to ask Eva about her current situation, I learned her dad died about a year ago. He was the family’s sole source of income, so they moved down to Alabama to be closer to some others they know. Her mom got a job at a local restaurant, but early this spring she had to take a leave of absence to get some surgery. When she recovered - the pandemic had settled in, and her job was no longer available.
Eva also has an older sister. The two sisters, four brothers and mom - seven people - are living in a trailer in rural Alabama, with no income. All of the kids are under 18, except for Eva’s sister. Rent is a few hundred dollars a month.
I’ve helped out a few times— we have a system down where I send the money to the local Walmart and Eva and her mom pick it up. But Frank and I can’t afford to support this family alone anymore, and it sounds like Eva’s friends/family down there aren’t in a position to help either. We’re not looking to sustain them forever— but I also don’t know when things are going to turn up for them. Restaurant jobs aren’t plentiful right now in a terrible, pandemic-ravaged economy.
I’m asking for $5. If we went out for happy hour and you bought me a beer— that’s all I’m asking for.
Here’s my disclaimer. There’s no oversight for your donation, other than me guaranteeing it'll get into the hands of this mom (the transfer is in her name and her ID is needed for pick-up). No corporate governance board will be accounting for every penny I send to this family and report back that it was spent on, say, groceries or rent. I won’t be able to give you benchmarks and say with certainty that a medical bill has been paid off or that your contribution has made their lives better. Communication with the family is very difficult— Eva has spotty access to cell phones/internet/WiFi.
All I can do is say that by donating, you’re giving to the very real possibility that you’re paying for this family’s groceries and rent— and, for me, that possibility is enough.
Thank you for considering it! And if you can’t give, then maybe you’d be willing to help me reach out to some local non-profits I’ve identified in her area. I am running on fumes right now in my life and would sure love some help in helping this family. Anything you could do is appreciated. Thanks for reading!