Support a Mother and Her Children in Crisis

My 2 children and I were displaced from our home due to domestic violence by my ex in Jan of this year. I had a little bit of savings and it’s since been depleted from having to stay in hotels and Airbnbs to keep the kids off the streets. My car was also torn up by my ex, and is currently broken down/will not start, and is in downtown Cincinnati at someone’s house who is trying to make me pay to store it on a public street. No one has been able to help diagnose what’s wrong with it. I’m not able to pay someone to even diagnose it now because every dollar I get has to go towards hotels. We have tried every shelter possible in the area. I have an 18-year-old son who is on disability, but it has been suspended and we are trying to get it back. In the meantime, we are pretty much screwed. Everything we own is in storage, which I also can’t pay due to being homeless. I cannot get a job because I don’t know where I’m going to be day to day since I stay in whatever hotel I can afford and can get to.

My goal is to get my car towed to Monroe to my storage unit so it can be safe and near my things so I can hopefully get it diagnosed very soon and begin getting the parts to fix it. The tow would cost a $45 AAA upgrade to my account, then $50 one time (and $30 a month thereafter) at the storage unit.

I’m praying I can get a hotel for a week and not day by day so that I can actually get ahead a little bit and save some money for other things rather than be stuck in the same cycle.

A week at the cheapest hotel I can find is $290.

We do get WIC and Foodstamps, and I get a very small child support payment per week.

I am exhausted. I don’t even sleep because I’m sitting up when my kids are sleeping, crying and trying to figure something out for the next day. I’m a nervous wreck because I’ve tried shelters. I’ve tried EVERY single resource that people offer me. The only result I get when I call are lists of more places. When I call them, same thing. Or they don’t have availability or don’t take families, and my family and I are not splitting up during this time.

I have called 211, 411, everything but 911. NO ONE WILL HELP US.

If I can get my car towed, stored, and diagnosed, pay my storage unit, and get a place for just one week, my situation would certainly change and I could actually get out of this cycle. Living day to day is so tiring and I just can’t do it anymore.

My kids deserve better than this. (Although we are not on the streets) this is just not the life I want for them, especially my toddler.

I have helped so many others when they were down and out. And when I need more help than I have ever needed before, due to no fault of my own, I can’t get even as much as someone answering the phone for me to just talk or vent.

I am beginning to feel hopeless and I’m not sure what else to do, but I know giving up is not an option.

I could also use help with things like diapers, wipes, and entertainment for my daughter.

Once I get my car fixed, that alone will help out tremendously as then I can get around and would be able to get a job no matter where I am.

I’m trying. I really am trying my hardest. I am scared and I’m alone. The only family I have to help is my mom, and she is on a fixed income. I’m lost and I don’t know where to turn anymore.

My children and I are grateful from the bottom of our hearts for any help that anyone can afford to help with.

UPDATE:

We were offered a room at a family member’s house until the mandatory evac, which at least gave us 3 nights in a place.

now due to the flooding, and the home is literally now under water, we are again without a place to go.

It seems that a lot people who try to “help” us, actually end up “taking” or “expecting” more than I even have to give in return.

I absolutely can’t win or get ahead, but I’m not losing faith!

It’s hard for anyone that hasn’t been in this situation to understand what it’s like. It’s so simple to say “Oh go to a homeless shelter”. Some of said shelter”shelters, are literally lock down facilities and make it as uncomfortable as possible especially with a toddler. Some of them don’t accept men so then my family would be split up because my son is 18. Other shelters have waiting lists. Believe me when I say, every possible thing that I could think of that had even the slightest possibility of changing my situation for the better, I have thought of and tried at least twice with no luck.

Each hotel that I stay at, I always ask if they are hiring so that I could try to work off some of the hotel rent.

Definitely not giving up hope.

Thank you to anyone who helps us. You are amazing!