When I told her that I was going to arrange some help for her family, her first words were, "But, there are so many people with such greater need out there." And, of course she knows about those needs, because she is always the first to facilitate ways to serve others. In fact, she is the co-founder of a non-profit whose mission is to grant mom's seed money to start their own businesses.
So, of course it would be hard for Lauren to accept help from others. Though, in my heart of hearts, I know that it comes as such an honor to so many of us to come alongside her family in their time of need.
Sometime near the moment this family photo was taken yesterday, someone was breaking into Justin's work van, which was parked at his shop not too far from their home. With family still in town, the Kelly's got the call this morning. When Justin got to his van, he was able to estimate at least $5,000 worth of equipment stolen. Equipment necessary to continue his work as a self-employed paver.
The winter already poses a huge vulnerability to the Kelly's, as Justin's outdoor work slows way down. As like most family's living in the Bay Area, and despite Justin's 60+ hour work weeks of physically demanding labor, and Lauren's 40+ hours of work each week, they are still living paycheck to paycheck. The reality is, they simply cannot afford to lose any amount of scheduled work. Nor do they have the capital to endure such a loss. For the sake of privacy, I won't share how many awful blows their business has endured this year.
Sadly, Justin cannot complete the last of the winter work he has scheduled, without the equipment that was stolen. While the Kelly's are fully insured, the insurance company is giving them the run around about what they'll cover. Honestly, the Kelly's don't have the luxury of waiting for their insurance company to sort through all the red tape.
So, let's rally around this incredible family. A family that is such a pillar of support to everyone around them - and lets help Justin replace his equipment so this family isn't forced into the vulnerable, and very real, position of losing even more.
I know that having just celebrated the holidays makes extra cash for giving, hard to come by - but any amount helps. "Alone we can do so little; Together we can do so much." - Helen Keller
Best,
Gina Perkins
So, of course it would be hard for Lauren to accept help from others. Though, in my heart of hearts, I know that it comes as such an honor to so many of us to come alongside her family in their time of need.
Sometime near the moment this family photo was taken yesterday, someone was breaking into Justin's work van, which was parked at his shop not too far from their home. With family still in town, the Kelly's got the call this morning. When Justin got to his van, he was able to estimate at least $5,000 worth of equipment stolen. Equipment necessary to continue his work as a self-employed paver.
The winter already poses a huge vulnerability to the Kelly's, as Justin's outdoor work slows way down. As like most family's living in the Bay Area, and despite Justin's 60+ hour work weeks of physically demanding labor, and Lauren's 40+ hours of work each week, they are still living paycheck to paycheck. The reality is, they simply cannot afford to lose any amount of scheduled work. Nor do they have the capital to endure such a loss. For the sake of privacy, I won't share how many awful blows their business has endured this year.
Sadly, Justin cannot complete the last of the winter work he has scheduled, without the equipment that was stolen. While the Kelly's are fully insured, the insurance company is giving them the run around about what they'll cover. Honestly, the Kelly's don't have the luxury of waiting for their insurance company to sort through all the red tape.
So, let's rally around this incredible family. A family that is such a pillar of support to everyone around them - and lets help Justin replace his equipment so this family isn't forced into the vulnerable, and very real, position of losing even more.
I know that having just celebrated the holidays makes extra cash for giving, hard to come by - but any amount helps. "Alone we can do so little; Together we can do so much." - Helen Keller
Best,
Gina Perkins
Organizer and beneficiary
Lauren Kelly
Beneficiary