Help Us Find A Safe Home

First, I want to thank you for taking the time to read this request. Anyone that knows me personally knows how hard it is for me to request help... but my children deserve it.

At the beginning of January of this year, we received a 60 day eviction notice from our landlord. Now we are scrambling to desperately find a new place to live before March 5th, when our family (three kids, one mom, one tiny dog, and two cats) becomes homeless on the coast.

After the covid shut down happened, it took years to get my events based business back, and I used a chunk of what should have been winter savings to pay back past bills. Throughout that time, I painstakingly tried to rebuild my credit to qualify for a house loan, since I spent the last three years trying unsuccessfully to find another home for my kids. While the housing situation is terrible everywhere in California, it's been exceptionally difficult on the Mendocino Coast. Every house I've looked at had about 25 other applicants competing for one living space.

I am guilty of being a really proud person; I've spent the last nearly four years since my ex left trying to go it alone and take care of my children. But this last minute scramble for a new place to live, in the middle of the dead season for my business, is not something I had counted on. While I have until March to find a place, I need desperately to find somewhere before that if possible, because the condition of our current house is deteriorating fast. The kids and I are getting sick and I'm worried it's being exacerbated by the house's failing condition. My kids are and have always been my #1 concern and priority in my life, and I want more than anything to keep them safe. I am trying desperately to not have to move out of the area if possible, until at least summer of 2026, as my oldest has only a few months to go until he graduates from high school, and my youngest has only JUST managed to get into a high school program that works for him and his education - normal high school was not working at all. But even finding just a temporary location is desperately needed --- at the same time I received the notice, I found out my ex is moving across the country this summer, and I would be absolutely crushed if my kids left this state. I haven't seen my family in Michigan in 14 years due to costs of travel and it would be nearly impossible for me to make even just ME traveling across the country happen with as expensive as it is in this area. I still have work here on the coast through the beginning of 2024 so the earliest I could make a move would be that summer.... and would likely require me closing my business and selling my equipment dirt cheap in order to make it happen.

Any money that gets donated will go first to helping cover the first month rent and safety deposit required to get into another home. Any money beyond that I will gratefully use to attempt to at least somewhat repair my credit, because right now it's tanked to the point that I am worried any possible landlord that runs a credit check on me will reject me just on that. And to replace necessary items like mattresses, etc, that I fear the extreme mold/fungal issues in the house may be causing irreparable damage to - the last thing I want to do is potentially drag spores into a new home, but getting new beds for my kids and replacing pretty much all of our furniture will come at a huge cost.

I'm super embarrassed having to ask for this assistance (even though I know the eviction is not from me being at fault - this mobile is just fifty years old and not designed to have lasted that long as a dwelling.). I also feel exceptionally guilty, as I know other people have it even worse than I. I've had some amazing and wonderful community members reach out to me to help us survive the holiday season and I'm so eternally grateful. I am working as hard as I can to make another full-time job manifest (on top of my current work) so I'll be established and ready to cover expenses once I finally manage to acquire a new home. But ANY help that you can give would be seriously, gratefully appreciated to no end, by my children and me.

If you don't want to donate through GoFundMe, I have a Venmo account @groundloop - or a Cashapp $groundloop.

Thank you so so much in advance. We love and appreciate you all.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.