Help Tuesday and Isaiah Find an Apartment
Donation protected
Tuesday Aton, 50, and her son Isaiah, 20, recently reunited, after years when Isaiah had been homeless on the streets of San Francisco and suffering from drug addiction. BART Police officers, including recently retired Officer Eric Hofstein, helped to reunite the mother and son.
Aton flew to San Francisco to bring Isaiah back with her to Hawaii, where he is in therapy and receiving drug treatment with Suboxone, a medication that curbs opiate cravings. Isaiah has more than two months of sobriety and has a part-time job detailing cars; his mom works as an independent ride-share driver.
Aton had been renting a small one-bedroom but the apartment would not allow another renter, and she needs to be with her son to support his recovery. Putting down a first and last month rent on a place together, along with a security deposit, will run them around $5,000 by a conservative estimate.
In addition, they need furniture; they’ve been sleeping on a comforter on the floor. They’ve been trying to stretch their food dollars. Food in the islands is famously expensive, and at times, they’ve foraged for fruits growing wild, like the Noni fruit, to supplement their meals. “We are just barely making ends meet,” Aton said. “We try to be creative.” Another $2,500 could meet their furniture needs and give them breathing space for groceries.
“It’s the most amazing feeling to see my son getting better and better, every day,” she said. “I am seeing him find new strength in himself. He’s meeting friends and having a sense of purpose, of contributing, which is so important.”
As the family works to get their feet underneath them, Aton would like to pay it forward and be a resource for other parents of children experiencing challenges of behavioral health, addiction and homelessness. “I want to keep it going,” she said.
If enough funds are raised, Aton would also like to pay for dental work for her son’s front teeth, which deteriorated during his time on the streets. They do not have private health insurance, so the only thing that would be covered presently is pulling the teeth, not repairing them, she said. To give him the best future for jobs and self-confidence, he could use funds for that work.
This GoFundMe campaign is sponsored by BART Director Bevan Dufty, who has been a strong advocate for BART’s efforts to work with community partners to help those experiencing these kinds of challenges to get connected to services and resources.
He initiated the fundraiser after reading an article on the bart.gov website about Tuesday and Isaiah. In that article, they remained anonymous. With this GoFundMe, they are presenting their real names and financial needs to the public, in hopes of securing stable housing and meeting their other basic needs. -
“I was so moved by the efforts that BART employees are making to help people break the cycles of homelesness and addiction,” Dufty said.
Aton flew to San Francisco to bring Isaiah back with her to Hawaii, where he is in therapy and receiving drug treatment with Suboxone, a medication that curbs opiate cravings. Isaiah has more than two months of sobriety and has a part-time job detailing cars; his mom works as an independent ride-share driver.
Aton had been renting a small one-bedroom but the apartment would not allow another renter, and she needs to be with her son to support his recovery. Putting down a first and last month rent on a place together, along with a security deposit, will run them around $5,000 by a conservative estimate.
In addition, they need furniture; they’ve been sleeping on a comforter on the floor. They’ve been trying to stretch their food dollars. Food in the islands is famously expensive, and at times, they’ve foraged for fruits growing wild, like the Noni fruit, to supplement their meals. “We are just barely making ends meet,” Aton said. “We try to be creative.” Another $2,500 could meet their furniture needs and give them breathing space for groceries.
“It’s the most amazing feeling to see my son getting better and better, every day,” she said. “I am seeing him find new strength in himself. He’s meeting friends and having a sense of purpose, of contributing, which is so important.”
As the family works to get their feet underneath them, Aton would like to pay it forward and be a resource for other parents of children experiencing challenges of behavioral health, addiction and homelessness. “I want to keep it going,” she said.
If enough funds are raised, Aton would also like to pay for dental work for her son’s front teeth, which deteriorated during his time on the streets. They do not have private health insurance, so the only thing that would be covered presently is pulling the teeth, not repairing them, she said. To give him the best future for jobs and self-confidence, he could use funds for that work.
This GoFundMe campaign is sponsored by BART Director Bevan Dufty, who has been a strong advocate for BART’s efforts to work with community partners to help those experiencing these kinds of challenges to get connected to services and resources.
He initiated the fundraiser after reading an article on the bart.gov website about Tuesday and Isaiah. In that article, they remained anonymous. With this GoFundMe, they are presenting their real names and financial needs to the public, in hopes of securing stable housing and meeting their other basic needs. -
“I was so moved by the efforts that BART employees are making to help people break the cycles of homelesness and addiction,” Dufty said.
Organizer and beneficiary
Bevan Dufty
Organizer
San Francisco, CA
Tuesday Aton
Beneficiary