Avoid homelessness

My family and I are looking for some help to try and avoid becoming homeless on February 1st. The past 4-5 years have been extremely hard for us. I was already homeless for a few years and had a baby in that time. With the help of a couple good friends I was able to pick myself back up from nothing and we first moved into a studio apartment that had more problems than I did! Then I was able to upgrade to a 2 bedroom, where I was finally able to provide my teenage daughter with her own room! We've been here about a year and a half.

When my year lease was up my landlord changed me to a month to month lease (I don't think I even realized what that could mean for us in the future). We had received help through KERA for 10 months of rent, so we were not behind on any rent. We were just struggling because of missing work, all the other issues with inflation, and car troubles.

During this past year my family and I have struggled with our health...a lot. We all had Covid twice, once in June and again in September, and everything seems to have started going downhill from that. After the 2nd Covid I became ill with ear infections, bronchitis, the flu...twice, and then to top it off ..pink eye. My daughter developed extreme digestive issues after Covid and also had the flu a couple times. My toddler seems to be sick when we get sick, but he has suffered illness as well.

Needless to say I missed over a month of work all together. I ended up in the emergency room right before Christmas because I thought I was dieing. All of this information had been communicated with my landlord the whole time so he knew what was going on in our lives.

I have always worked...always. right now I work at a bakery, but am in the process of getting a new position that has good pay and benefits...this job will start soon. During the last 2 seasons I was doing landscaping, and the 5 years before that I worked for the city. I find work for the winter and usually go back to landscaping because I enjoy it, but if I get this good job soon I might just stay there if it works out.

I also had to put about a thousand bucks into my car right before Christmas, so I had no money for Christmas this year.

My landlord came by the other day to get rent and all I had was $400...rent is $850. He took my very last $400 and then told me my lease was ending at the end of the month and he didn't even really give me a reason. I don't think it was the money...I think he just wanted us gone...I don't know...he just said have to be out by the end of the month. This was definitely a surprise, and extremely devastating for especially my 15 year old daughter. We cried and held each other all day that day because she knows how hard I have worked for what we have. It all seemed to come crashing down right before us.

With that said, I do have a little child support coming in, which puts gas in my car and buys other essentials, but I have nothing saved to be able to move into a new place. If I don't make enough money for a new place by the first we will be homeless...again. I've looked into extended stay, borrowing a friend's camper for the campground, cabin at KOA...all of these would just take all my money! I can't really afford these options, plus I have a big dog who is our best friend, and he is to be included in our adventures.

My car is leaking coolant and doesn't have heat, so we cannot stay there. The shelter doesn't allow dogs, but we will go there in a last case scenario if need be.

I am asking for help so that we may be able to just move on into another apartment. I am looking for a 2 bedroom at least for around $800. I have found a couple sublease options that don't have a deposit, but there is still an application process and moving expensive...we will need to rent a truck.

After the few years we've had I'd like to provide my kids with the smoothest transition possible. This would include being able to just move our stuff right into a new place rather than having to get a storage unit and pack our life away only to enter the unknown. That is one of the worst feelings as an adult human... uncertainty. Not knowing where we'll be as I'm snuggling my baby in our warm bed is the most heartbreaking feeling for any parent. As of right now we have nowhere to be come February 1st.

I am a good person. I work hard and am kind to people. I don't lie, cheat, or steal, and I know how to come back from nothing because I've done it before, but I'm tired. Like, my spirit is fading. I have to be strong for my kids, but I break down a lot when I think about all we are losing. We have suffered so much already.

I don't have any family that will help me. I don't have any friends that will take us in temporarily. Neither of my kids Dad's help us out at all...it is quite lonely and very hard. If I could raise this money the effects it would have on my family's life and well-being would be immeasurabley significant and we could hopefully just move forward with this amazing, crazy life with love in our hearts and smiles on our faces.