URGENT!! Howard student & family facing eviction

Hi! My name is Wawen Ewimbi. I’m a full-time student at Howard University pursuing my Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. I am trying to continue my education in order to ensure whole lives for Black children in my community, so I am writing this in hopes of receiving kindred camaraderie from that same community.

Venmo: @nn4mbdy

Some background:

22 years ago, My mother and father immigrated from Cameroon to America. They came in search of material stability, hoping to eventually ‘climb the ladder’ to create some form of generational wealth for their families back home, and the family they’d soon create here.

After domestic issues, untreated mental health issues, my maternal grandmother’s passing, and divorce, the American dream quickly began to fail us. My mother has been grieving and fighting to provide for herself, her 3 kids, her father, and her 10 siblings with NO support system since 2007.

Currently, my family consists of my single mother, my full-time college student brother, myself, and my full-time high school student sister. My mother recently (11/1/2021) returned to full-time work as a substitute teacher. My brother also works part time as a COVID tester, I work part time as an education program assistant, and we try very hard to keep my little sister out of our economic hardships.

The struggles of poverty that have permeated our entire lives are, at the bare minimum, exhausting. In the past 14 years, we have been evicted 5 times and homeless for a total of 3 years. We have shared rooms with other families in the moldy basements of foreclosed homes, we have lived in cars and hotels, and we are tired. Our lives have been shaped by traumatic insecurity surrounding our basic needs i.e. shelter, food, water, clothing, etc.

The current situation:

We are in need of general assistance to secure transportation, prevent utility cutoffs, prevent eviction, and generally restabilize as winter approaches.

My mother’s vehicle was repossessed 11/5/2021. We have no vehicle at the moment. We rely on public transportation for work, school, and errands. We have until 12/4/2021 to pay or the car will be auctioned, the loan ($28,667.45) will default and be garnished from my mother’s wages, and her gradually building credit score will again be tarnished.

A turn off notice has been issued for electricity services. Our services were shut off for about 1 week in October 2021, were reinstated by grace alone, and will be shut off again 12/12/2021. Our internet services will be cut off 12/21/2021. Our water bill is severely past due, and a turn off notice will be issued by 1/22/2022.

Our landlord has been increasingly agitated and insistent on baselessly villainizing my family. She frequently shows up to our home randomly yelling and accusing my mother of racism, trying to steal her home, opening her mails, etc. She refuses to sign verifying documents and letters of need that are required for us to be able to receive rent assistance from non-profit and government sources. We are planning to find another place once the lease ends in April 2022.

Since September 2021, when national pandemic unemployment ended + regular unemployment benefits were stopped for my family, we have paid our rent through social media crowdfunding.

Since October 2021, we have applied to various non-profit, state, and local cash, utility, and rent assistance programs. As of today, we have not received any updates on our applications despite repeated follow-up, let alone tangible assistance from the non-profit or government sector.

We have exercised all the present options. Now, we are again turning to our community for support as our situation becomes increasingly dire. If you find it within you to do so, please support us with any monetary donation if you are able to.

Below is a detail of how any funds received will be allocated:

Extremely time sensitive:

$1,287.46 - Amount to get the family car back from repossession.

$2,163.78 - Past due electricity balance as of 11/30/2021. They will be turning off our electricity and heating services 12/12/2021.

$1,295.00 - Rent amount due on the 16th of every month.

$663.95 - Past due water balance as of 11/30/2021. Our water service provider, WSSC, has resumed service turn-offs. A turn off notice will be issued for our account by 1/22/2022.

$236.55 - Past due internet and cable balance as of 11/30/2021. Xfinity will be turning off our services 12/21/2021.

Less time sensitive:

$6,630.79 - Remaining amount past due on our family’s car.

$1,500.00 - Total amount required to resolve MVA registration issues and get plates back + fix severe mechanical issues on our family’s car.