Ellen Berrios

Gia and her family continue to search for a place to live and are looking out of state. Because Nathan has to be enrolled in school without gaps, they really can't do much with something temporary in order to avoid disruptions in his education. NC, PA, and even MA are now options, but they need to find a place to go that is affordable and offers support for single parents. Please donate if you can, but if you are unable, you can still help by making sure as many people as possible see this. Any help at all is appreciated more than you know. Thank you!

I want to start by saying how touched and appreciative Gia is for your donations. It shows her that she is not alone in this which is so important right now. Currently, she is overwhelmed by the chaos and uncertainty around housing her family. They are in an extended stay hotel but next week, they will run out of money for it. I look at Airbnb and to get them into a place for one month costs around $2800, give or take. So I am really hoping I can raise that for them as a short term solution so they are able to have some normalcy for the children. If we can get them a place for a month, Gia will be able to seek job opportunities in different areas/states that will help her decide her next steps. Again, I am truly grateful for all that has been given so far. They have been skipping meals so that the youngest, Nathan, has food. So even just buying them a meal or a gift card for a supermarket would be a very impactful way to help. The photos below were taken last night at their hotel. They are exhausted, but together. (Nathan kissing his sister while she finally gets some rest.)

Thanks to your generosity, Gia and her family were able to book an Airbnb for the night and are hoping to get into a less expensive one they saw today. Nothing is official yet, but communication has been initiated. Meanwhile, Gia is heading to court today to file her response to the unlawful eviction, as well as other violations of safety. Gia's supporters are hopeful that in filing her response, the property management may decide not to pursue any further actions for eviction. The managers know they have a lot to answer for (shooting guns inside accidentally?!). We are cautiously optimistic at this point. To protect the privacy of the children, I have not uploaded the latest video, showing them settled into their Airbnb last night, because I am not skilled enough to know how to blur faces. (I have permission for the one of Nathan because it is an older photo.) Once I get help with that, I will post it. But I just want to thank everyone again for caring enough to help. Because of you, they slept in beds last night. It is appreciated more than you know.

I have known Gia (not real name to protect privacy) for around a decade, when she and her daughter came to Puerto Rico to volunteer in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. She and her kids have been my guests in Puerto Rico many times and I know this family very well. I'd like to start by giving you a little background on who Gia is before getting into the predicament. Gia has experienced nothing but trauma since she was a young child. Her mother was an addict and she was taken by the state at 5 years old. What ensued was a childhood of being shuffled around the foster care system, never really finding safety. Of course, there are more details that would make your stomach turn, but I would like to respect Gia's privacy as much as possible. At age 20, her mother took her own life and Gia was tasked with cleaning up the aftermath. As an adult, Gia gave birth to a wonderful daughter but the father was very abusive. He tried to cut her throat and attacked her with their little baby girl in her arms. He was violent and dangerous, things that Gia had dealt with her whole life, but she determined her daughter deserved a better childhood than she had, so Gia and her lovely girl set out on their own to build a life. Becoming a mother transformed Gia and she became committed to improving her circumstances for both her and her daughter. In that vein, Gia returned to school and worked her way up, embarking on a 25 year career in HR, with some time in the middle as a social worker. Without child support or any real family, Gia managed to raise an amazing daughter. The two of them have given so much of their time and energy to others. Wherever there was a need, they were there together volunteering. If Gia had $5 left and you needed it, she would give it. Gia has also done much to support other women, often promoting their businesses or lifting them up in other ways. For someone who came from disadvantage (to put it mildly), Gia has improved the lives of others, as both a career and a "hobby", because she truly wants others to have the assistance and support that she never had. Gia's daughter, Hope, is a sweet, super intelligent 18 year old now with a big heart. She began an animal rescue group at age 10 and she reads profusely. She graduated high school a year early and won a scholarship for college but had to drop out to help out. Because she had to move around so much of her childhood, she was bullied often and never was able to make friends due to extreme shyness. Gia's 5 year old son, Nathan, is very Autistic and was nonverbal for a long time. Gia's commitment to working with him has resulted in remarkable improvements. So, what happened? About a year ago, the company Gia worked for in HR went out of business. Because they live in SC, transitional help and worker's rights are very limited. In the wake of the company closing, Gia moved her family to a more affordable apartment and began school to become an aesthetician, with the goal of opening a spa. She also took every opportunity she could to work, just as she always has, and did everything from DoorDash to pet sitting while the business got off the ground. Well, the economy is very challenging right now and people are cutting back on luxury items and extras and this did not bode well for the spa. While they did begin to develop regular clientele, they could never make enough money to keep the business afloat. They are still trying though! In the last few years, Gia has had more than one heart attack despite being in her 40's. The stress of losing her job and seeing her business fail present a health risk for her. However, the family is now losing their apartment. I don't want to be too specific here other than to say they were up to date on rent and good tenants, but they witnessed the property manager doing something that endangered the tenants and filed a complaint. The result was the beginning of an eviction process. The property management tried to use the threat of eviction to silence them because they offered to stop eviction proceedings if Gia agreed not to sue them or file charges and to remove her complaint to the Better Business Bureau and even Google reviews, among other demands. Gia no longer feels it is a safe place for her and her children and tomorrow, Sept. 15th, they and their little dog will become homeless. I understand this is a very long story and thank you for reading it. I felt it was important to give background so people can understand that these are remarkable and deserving people who have fallen on hard times, despite their best efforts. They have applied for every program available and were turned down. The United Way told them there are just so many people in need and funds keep getting cut for these programs, so they run out of money fast. I have personally seen the rejection letters and all correspondence. It is a despicable way to treat people. Throughout everything, they have never stopped trying to support themselves, even as they were beaten down by their circumstances. I am setting up this fundraiser with the intent of helping them get into safer, more permanent housing so they can sleep in beds instead of their car while they figure out their next steps. Also, Nathan requires special food pouches due to his Autism and they are expensive. Any amount at all is helpful and appreciated. This family has helped so many other people and animals, now it is their turn to have some help. Thank you!