Let's Help Pat Get Back on Her Feet

My story with Pat began on June 30th, but I quickly learned that her whole life was a story worth telling. I saw Pat as I was driving home from work. I looked over and saw her sitting outside of the local shelter and knew I had to talk to her. I was instantly drawn to her but was not sure why. Two months later, I now know the answer. Pat is 80 years old and was born and raised in Jersey City. She was a nurse for fifty years, she is a Ray Charles enthusiast, an animal lover, but most importantly she is a genuine and kind woman. Even though she is struggling financially, she goes out of her way to try to give back to the people around her – she always wants to tip any service worker, including the cashier at the grocery store, and continues to donate from her limited resources to the ASPCA.

Pat was evicted from her home in Jersey City after a hospital stay. She lost everything; including all of her identification, clothing, family pictures, etc. Pat managed to get to the local shelter where she had been for at least 4 months when I met her. I’ve been working with Pat over the last two months to get her back on her feet. With the help of many kind people in the community, we have managed to get Pat forms of identification, clothing, and temporary housing in a motel. In my eyes, Pat’s story has proven that miracles are real and that there are many people in this world who want to do good. She has brought people from the local church, the DMV, CapitalOne, and strangers who knew nothing about her together but even more so, these people have gone above and beyond to help. These acts of kindness have helped us get to where we are today.

Although we have made an immense amount of progress, we are now challenged with finding permanent housing for Pat and getting her financially stable again. We are starting this GoFundMe as a way to share Pat’s story, to show that a little kindness can go a long way, and to assist her in finding an apartment and getting back on her feet in the Jersey City area. Any donations large or small, connections to housing, or any other resources are greatly appreciated. We know a lot of people are struggling financially right now, so if you can’t donate, please consider sharing this story on social media or with your community. The last two month are a true testament of a miracle and Pat deserves to feel the kindness, love, and support that she offered to others her whole life.