Miss Crawford 19 years old

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Hello, I’m doing my best to advocate for a young girl I know. This is long so please bare with me.

My husband and I fostered several years ago. During that time,we fostered two boys and met their older sister. She was a young teen at that time and went with us for family visits. She went with us out to eat a few times, to the circus and to the night of lights. We haven’t seen her since. She is now 19.

She had my contact information and reached out two days ago. She asked if she could come stay with me until she saves up for a place of her own. (She makes 300 per week)

She was never in foster care herself because she was raised by her grandmother from birth. Her grandmother recently passed away and now she is facing eviction from the apartment where they lived. The power was also shut off but we were able to assist her with getting that turned back on today. She contacted me two days ago (basically a stranger to her) I’m so torn because I really want to help her, but I do have two small children at home. ….my heart is broken because she clearly has no one else to ask.

I was able to accomplish was getting the application started with dfacs to get her snap ebt and possibly healthcare insurance while on a 3 way call today. (I was advised it will take several weeks to be approved. )

She also is now on a waitlist with “my sisters place” in Gainesville as of this morning(a transitional house for women facing homelessness that offers her housing for 3-90 days, helps with job placement, clothes transportation and help her find placement somewhere else.

Some information about her. She is 19 and graduated high school last year but she received help for intellectual delays. She will need help navigating thru all this( because it’s way harder than it should be) She works at Kroger part time and walks or takes the bus to and from. She cannot drive and is only 4’2” so she likely never will drive.

She I think would technically be considered a little person though I’m not sure that she’s been officially diagnosed.

Things I’m hoping to find help with …

She has possession in her grandmothers apartment but nowhere to store her things or way to move them. It will likely be a while before she finds placement with affordable housing for section 8. So she might need to store it for a while.

And …..Monetary assistance to possibly buy her time and stay off the eviction until she can get into transitional housing and then hopefully with their assistance into affordable housing. The lease is in her grandmothers name and it says it’s 1207 per month and there’s a 127 late fee. I don’t know if it’s already been filed with Court or not but she got a letter from the apartment complex on the 8th saying she has 3 days before they took legal action.

She will likely need help with groceries until she can get approve for assistance

I have called every shelter and agency in existence over the past two days. Seriously probably 80 phone calls. My eyes hurt from staring at my phone .

I’ve contacted our church yesterday and I’m waiting to hear back from them.

Thank you for any assistance or advice

Ahhhhhhh

UPDATEs 8-23 230pm THIS IS LONG. pLEASE READ ENtirely

I finally got the leasing office to answer the phone. They have already filed for eviction but I can still cancel it if I can get her account back to zero. The next payment would be due sept 5th by midnight. I think that at least would buy her time until an opening comes up at the transitional housing facility.

I still will need help with packing/moving/ storing her possessions until she can find affordable housing /permanent placement

I got her set up for Snap Ebt and Medicaid etc application but it will take several weeks for that will kick in

I have her scheduled for an appt with SSI /disability office for possible qualifications and assistance but the appointment is October(soonest available)

Also I now have permission to share this and make this public

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UPDATE 8/24

I dropped off cashiers check at leaving off to zero out her negative balance and push back eviction process. Her next payment is due sept 5 by midnight ir the process will start over