Homeless in Parker
Donation protected
Diana Smith is a mostly blind 59 year-old lady who has been living under Parker Road on the Sulfur Gulch Trail for the past year. In 2010, her husband died of cancer and she became mentally unstable and lost everything. She does not drink alcohol or do drugs. The county has determined that she is still capable of making her own decisions so they will not put her into an institution against her will. She is not welcomed at local shelters or churches because of her dog. Her mental condition won’t allow her to be rational in letting someone else care for her pet. She has fallen through the cracks of our society.
To my dismay, I found her still outside in October 2019 in a sleeping bag with a broken zipper preparing to survive the sub-freezing weather. As a result, I took her in for a couple nights and since then have transferred her to the Castle Inn in Castle Rock. From October 15 through February 7 Diana lived at the Castle Inn costing around $395 to $425 per week depending on their busy seasons.
On February 7, I relocated Diana to an East Parker home where I signed a lease agreement for a room at $700 per month. I attempted to prepare this landlord for what he was getting into and failed to do an adequate job. After just three days he gave me a 30-day notice. It has been so nice to have Diana so close to my home. At this home, I have seen an encouraging transformation. I don’t know if it was caused by the prayers or the new landlord’s strong stance toward Diana in not allowing her to act helpless and disrespectful. Probably both. She has been more pleasant and has adapted to where things are going smoother there. Nonetheless, the 30-day notice still stands.
As such, I ran another ad on Craigslist looking for a room and found one in Castle Rock. I think the cost will be around $100/week, which would be another great financial win. I’ll continue to advertise in hopes of finding a room in Parker. Assuming I can’t find her a room in Parker, she will be moved to this Castle Rock home on March 6, 2020.
Another big win is that I located a new service that was desperately needed. Diana currently enjoys three free round-trip rides per week within a 20 mile radius. As such, I’m scheduling three trips per week into Parker where she spends about five hours visiting people, eating, and getting some exercise. As such, you may have seen her lately at the Parker McDonalds and Safeway near Parker and Main.
That’s about it for now. We currently have $1,524.03 left. This number will go up if the landlord releases back to me the last month rent that was prepaid and deposit. If you feel compelled, please consider donating to this fund, which will be used to continue to house and care for Diana. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.
To my dismay, I found her still outside in October 2019 in a sleeping bag with a broken zipper preparing to survive the sub-freezing weather. As a result, I took her in for a couple nights and since then have transferred her to the Castle Inn in Castle Rock. From October 15 through February 7 Diana lived at the Castle Inn costing around $395 to $425 per week depending on their busy seasons.
On February 7, I relocated Diana to an East Parker home where I signed a lease agreement for a room at $700 per month. I attempted to prepare this landlord for what he was getting into and failed to do an adequate job. After just three days he gave me a 30-day notice. It has been so nice to have Diana so close to my home. At this home, I have seen an encouraging transformation. I don’t know if it was caused by the prayers or the new landlord’s strong stance toward Diana in not allowing her to act helpless and disrespectful. Probably both. She has been more pleasant and has adapted to where things are going smoother there. Nonetheless, the 30-day notice still stands.
As such, I ran another ad on Craigslist looking for a room and found one in Castle Rock. I think the cost will be around $100/week, which would be another great financial win. I’ll continue to advertise in hopes of finding a room in Parker. Assuming I can’t find her a room in Parker, she will be moved to this Castle Rock home on March 6, 2020.
Another big win is that I located a new service that was desperately needed. Diana currently enjoys three free round-trip rides per week within a 20 mile radius. As such, I’m scheduling three trips per week into Parker where she spends about five hours visiting people, eating, and getting some exercise. As such, you may have seen her lately at the Parker McDonalds and Safeway near Parker and Main.
That’s about it for now. We currently have $1,524.03 left. This number will go up if the landlord releases back to me the last month rent that was prepaid and deposit. If you feel compelled, please consider donating to this fund, which will be used to continue to house and care for Diana. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.
Organizer
Mike Sajdak
Organizer
Parker, CO
