Hey friends, I'm here raising emergency funds for a very close friend of mine. For the time being, I want to give her the opportunity to remain anonymous, so I am going to share a little bit of her story without using her name. Please take the time to read and contribute whatever you can.

My friend is a phenomenal single mother to four kids. She has 2 teenagers and 2 preschoolers. Their family has been through so much and recently life has dealt them some significant blows beyond their control.

This mother has experienced domestic violence at the hands of the father of her children. After trying to make things work with him for many years, it became necessary for her to end their relationship for her safety and the well being of their kids as his aggression escalated.

Over the months since that time, she has been subjected to threats, harassment, and stalking. He has shown up to her home and job and threatened people she knows. She had to get a stay away order to protect herself and her kids. Even still he has been unrelenting. He ultimately showed up to her home this week and discharged a weapon in front of her house before demanding to be let inside where her and her children were.

While it is clear from these events that her safety and the safety of her kids has to be the top priority, it is also true that removing an adult from the household comes with financial consequences. Raising kids alone is hard, unexpected financial burdens makes it even harder.

Unfortunately, this situation escalated during the time of year when it is nearly impossible to make ends meet as a family on a service industry worker budget in New Orleans. For those that don't know, mid-July through September is our off season and we all see a drastic decrease in income during this time, even when we continue to come to work everyday. I work with this mother, and there have been days this month that I have left work with just $27 in tip income, which is what us French Quarter servers survive on.

The combination of this household change and the slow season has made it impossible for her to keep up on bills alone. She is now 2 months behind on rent and her phone and internet have already been shut off. She is scared of being evicted with her children, as any parent would be.

I can't explain enough how wonderful of a person my friend is. Or how unendingly impressed I am by her strength. Despite everything she has been through, she maintains the most positive attitude and outlook of anyone I have ever met. I know that quality in her is something her children will always look to as an example of how to meet challenges with grace and gratitude, when they face any struggle in the future. She is the first to help others, my kids wear her kids hand-me-downs almost half the week. She is unwavering in her faith and has put so much work and dedication into her own recovery and her family. I want to see that work be met with the stability and support that they all deserve.

When she shares her struggles with me, I am not only affected because she is my friend who I care about or because of her honesty and humility, but also because I relate so much to her experiences. I've been in her shoes. I know how scary it is to be a survivor of violence, to be a single mother, to not have enough to make ends meet, and to be navigating personal recovery while trying to protect and provide for a family.

All survivors deserve not just to survive, but also to thrive. I know my friend deserves that and so much more. I think her and her family deserve the world.

If you are able, I ask that you contribute what you can to help her cover the cost of back rent so that her family has the chance to stay in their home. Thank you so much for taking the time to read a little bit of her story. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions.

Thank you,

Maryellen