Shoshanna's Foster Family
Donation protected
Dear friends,
It is with a humble heart that my husband, Steve, and I reach out to you for help for our family.
This past February we were assisting a homeless family to get back on their feet. Mom and Dad had 6 children between them, ages 8-13. We exhausted our savings account and retirement draws to get them out of the U-Haul they were living in and into an efficiency hotel room for 2 weeks, food, clothes, etc. We also scoured the internet for all the resources we could gather to assist them, as they had just lost both their jobs and their home.
After working with them for a month, in March 2017, we received a call from their DCF case manager, asking if we would be willing to take in their 6 kids while they got back on their feet. The children had not been in school for more than 60 days the entire year, were malnourished, and in desperate need of stability. This was meant to be temporary (2 months max), however circumstances of abuse and neglect came to light, causing this emergency placement to go on for more than 7 months.
So, in addition to our 2 children we had attempted to maintain 6 other children with no assistance from the State. We had been made to believe we would receive financial assistance, food stamps, etc, however none came. As they continue to tell us funding should soon be available soon, we have exhausted our accounts, savings, and resources. The alternative would have been to split all the children up into separate foster care homes, further damaging their chances for success, stability, and hope.
While we have only 3 of them (+ our 2) now, we are in a dire situation as my husband was just laid off his job this week and our utilities are being shut off one by one. Being so grateful to Home Depot for approving my Homer Fund Matching Grant request, I humbly and desperately ask you for your help as it is all we have left. Home Depot will match $1 for every $1 donated, but even if you are unable I ask you to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Thank you for being the greatest team in the world to work with! All our blessings,
Shoshanna & Steven Coles
It is with a humble heart that my husband, Steve, and I reach out to you for help for our family.
This past February we were assisting a homeless family to get back on their feet. Mom and Dad had 6 children between them, ages 8-13. We exhausted our savings account and retirement draws to get them out of the U-Haul they were living in and into an efficiency hotel room for 2 weeks, food, clothes, etc. We also scoured the internet for all the resources we could gather to assist them, as they had just lost both their jobs and their home.
After working with them for a month, in March 2017, we received a call from their DCF case manager, asking if we would be willing to take in their 6 kids while they got back on their feet. The children had not been in school for more than 60 days the entire year, were malnourished, and in desperate need of stability. This was meant to be temporary (2 months max), however circumstances of abuse and neglect came to light, causing this emergency placement to go on for more than 7 months.
So, in addition to our 2 children we had attempted to maintain 6 other children with no assistance from the State. We had been made to believe we would receive financial assistance, food stamps, etc, however none came. As they continue to tell us funding should soon be available soon, we have exhausted our accounts, savings, and resources. The alternative would have been to split all the children up into separate foster care homes, further damaging their chances for success, stability, and hope.
While we have only 3 of them (+ our 2) now, we are in a dire situation as my husband was just laid off his job this week and our utilities are being shut off one by one. Being so grateful to Home Depot for approving my Homer Fund Matching Grant request, I humbly and desperately ask you for your help as it is all we have left. Home Depot will match $1 for every $1 donated, but even if you are unable I ask you to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Thank you for being the greatest team in the world to work with! All our blessings,
Shoshanna & Steven Coles
Organizer and beneficiary
Chantal Bouchard
Organizer
Jacksonville, FL
Shoshanna Coles
Beneficiary
