Joshua Liljenquist

When asked her biggest prayer, Shawna said: “That people don’t have to go hungry.” For the last three and a half years, Shawna has been feeding people in her community and letting them pay whatever they can afford. Sometimes that means a donation. Sometimes that means a free meal. Either way, Shawna serves because she knows what it feels like to struggle. After a divorce, she had to start over as a single mom of three, working multiple jobs and trying to keep food on the table. There were times she did not know where the next meal would come from. Instead of letting those hard times get her down, Shawna turned them into a mission. Right now, she and her family serve meals twice a month with whatever donations and help they can gather. Her dream is to open a Pay What You Can Cafe, a safe place where people can come in from the cold, eat a meal, and be treated with dignity. If someone cannot pay, they can still eat. If they want to help, they can clear tables, wash dishes, sweep, or volunteer. Shawna also hopes to add a small clothing and essentials area where people can get what they need, even if they do not have money. Eventually, she wants the cafe to create opportunities for people who need a second chance, including those coming out of prison and trying to rebuild their lives. This fundraiser will help Shawna take the next step toward a building, kitchen equipment, food supplies, permits, storage, tables, basic furnishings, and the resources needed to serve people more often. Help Shawna turn years of service into a permanent place of hope for the people who need it most.

For the past six years, Mindy has been fighting stage 4 cancer through more than 150 rounds of chemotherapy, surgeries, radiation, and countless difficult days. Through it all, she and her husband, Tom, have stayed incredibly positive and continued doing everything they can for their family. Right now, one of Mindy’s biggest challenges is simply getting safely in and out of her home. Mindy also has diabetes and has been dealing with a serious foot injury that has struggled to heal. She often relies on a walker or wheelchair, but their driveway is badly uneven and has become a fall hazard. Her walker and wheelchair can catch in the broken pavement, and a fall could cause an injury that her weakened body may have a very difficult time recovering from. Tom works full time to support their family, but between medical expenses, unreliable vehicles, and everyday bills, there simply has not been enough left over to replace the driveway. We want to change that. This fundraiser will primarily help give Mindy a safe, accessible driveway so she can get to appointments and leave her home without constantly worrying about falling. Any additional support will help with transportation, medical expenses, and some much-needed breathing room for Mindy and Tom.

Steven is a pastor in Garden City, Kansas, a father, a two-time cancer survivor, and he is now in renal failure. After years of cancer treatment, including a bone marrow transplant, his kidneys failed. Today, dialysis is keeping him alive while he waits for a living kidney donor. Steven does dialysis multiple times a day, sometimes up to five times when he is not feeling well. Because of his medical history, finding the right kidney match is more complicated. But a living donor could save his life. The financial burden has become overwhelming. Steven has completely drained retirement funds, fallen behind on bills, and is trying to cover medical costs, dialysis expenses, rent, utilities, transportation, and basic needs while he fights to stay alive. This fundraiser will help Steven stay stable, housed, and able to continue treatment while he searches for a kidney. All donations will help with the medical and living costs surrounding his fight for life. (Donations do not pay for a kidney or compensate a donor.) Steven is also looking for a living kidney donor. If you feel called to apply, complete the Living Kidney Donor Application: https://www.hcamidwest.com/patient-resources/living-donor-program (Use the information below to apply for a match with Steven. HCA requires you enter his full name and birth date.)

When Reanna’s 7 year old daughter was asked to draw something she wanted, she drew a tent... Not because she wanted to go camping, but because her family is on the verge of homelessness. Reanna is a single mom of three who works full time as a CNA and med aide. Even while doing everything she can to provide, she received a short eviction notice and has been struggling to find affordable housing for herself and her children. She has nowhere else to go. Donations will help Reanna cover safe housing, a deposit or first month’s rent, moving costs, food, transportation, and basic necessities as she rebuilds stability for her kids. Please donate or share to help give this family a safe place to call home.

When we met Lamondo this winter, he was living in a homeless shelter, and still trying to help someone else. Lamondo is 31 years old. He served in the Army as a 68W combat medic, built a life in St. Louis, and then lost his home after a tornado. He came to Minnesota to start over, separated from his daughter and unsure what would come next. Lamondo didn’t give up. Since that video was filmed, he found a job in security and has already been promoted. He has built a lot of momentum, but he's still living at the shelter. We’re raising money to provide Lamondo with the help he needs to move into safe, stable housing. Donations will go toward apartment applications, security deposit, first month’s rent, basic furniture, and move-in essentials. This is a chance to stand behind someone who has served, who is working hard, and who is doing everything he can to rebuild. Anything you can give will help Lamondo take the next step from surviving to really starting over.

When I met Clyde, I told him my blood sugar was low. He did not hesitate. Clyde is diabetic too, so he went inside, brought me sugar tablets, and when I asked why he helped a stranger, he said: “Because you need help.” That one sentence explains exactly who Clyde is. Clyde is 77 years old and has spent his life helping people. He worked with the Red Cross, helped with emergency communications, and has always been the type of person who shows up when someone else is in need. Now Clyde is the one who needs help. Clyde lives alone in the home he has left while his wife is in a nursing home. He spends most of what he has trying to care for her, and now the foundation of his house needs major repair. It is a problem bigger than what Clyde can afford on his own. This fundraiser has one clear purpose: To help Clyde fix the foundation of his home so he can stay there safely. Money raised will go toward a proper inspection, foundation repairs, and the home-safety work needed to keep Clyde in his house. If there is anything left after the repair costs, it will go toward Clyde’s basic home needs and care expenses. Clyde helped me when I needed it. Now we are trying to help him when he needs it. If you can donate anything, it will help give a 77-year-old man who spent his life helping others a safe place to stay. Thank you for helping Clyde.

While filming a video, I met a woman who was holding a garage sale for a heartbreaking reason. She wasn’t trying to save for a vacation or pay off a credit card. She was trying to raise money to bury a loved one. As she shared her story, it became clear that she was carrying an incredible amount of pain while also trying to handle the financial burden that comes with losing someone you love. Instead of asking for handouts, she was out there doing everything she could to help herself. She was selling personal belongings and working hard to come up with the money needed for funeral and burial expenses. No family should have to worry about how they are going to lay a loved one to rest. That is why we created this fundraiser. Every dollar raised will go directly toward helping her and her family cover funeral and burial costs. If we raise more than the immediate expenses, the remaining funds will go toward helping the family with related end-of-life expenses and financial hardships created by this loss. If you feel led to help, any amount makes a difference. If you cannot donate, please consider sharing this fundraiser and keeping the family in your prayers. Thank you for showing kindness during a difficult time.

At 77, Beth still shows up to work with the kind of warmth that makes a stranger feel like a friend. We met Beth in the checkout of a local store, where she works as a cashier. She told us she is widowed after losing her husband. She still owes about $160,000 on her home, so working is not just something she enjoys... it is part of how she keeps up with life and the payments on her house. Beth lights up around people. In her own words, “People make me happy.” But she also shared that if she didn’t work, she “wouldn’t be able to do much.” When we tried to give Beth money directly, she didn’t want to take it. She said there are “people out there who are hungry.” That tells you the kind of woman she is... We’re raising this to help Beth make her mortgage payments, and have more comfort, security, and choice in this season of life. Beth should go to work because she loves seeing people, not because she has to. Any gift, big or small, helps. And if you can’t give, sharing Beth’s story would mean so much.