For those who say this is TL;DR, here's a summary:
- I purchased my mom a van because she's otherwise on the street and she has neither a home nor a vehicle.
- The money raised will afford her the ability to make the van more livable.
- Please share this campaign. <3
For those who want a detailed situation, please read on:
THE STORY
My name is Daria, and my mom's name is CJ. For a few years now, she has been living in a bug and mice infested shack with limited electricity and no water down in rural Mississippi.
A cataclysmic series of events resulted in her going from a potential homeowner to a near-homeless caretaker of my disabled brother, a situation she has endured for these last few years.
Recently, things seemed to be on the up; she was saving money and fixing up the shack. My brother's condition was improving, even if his attitude wasn't, and she was scraping together a life. Then, without any warning, she was informally evicted.
This resulted in a cobbled-together plan to get her a "camper van"; something she could use both as a means for transportation and as a living space. With my brother no longer living with her, it seemed an appropriate thing to do in the circumstances.
I am not a wealthy person, by any stretch, but I had the means to barely purchase the van (see cover photo) which was a used mini-van that the previous owner put a roof onto in the hopes she could use it for camping.
The problem? That was the *only* retrofit on this over 200,000 mile vehicle. As it stands, it is barely a shelter, but it was the only vehicle within my means. Thankfully, it was lacking any mechanical trouble and made the journey smoothly.
I spent the last 5 days buying and delivering this vehicle and helping her move all of her belongings either into the van or into storage. It was hard work, but I was able to help by taking time away from my job.
My mom is not without money, as she works a full-time job (at a little over $11/hr), and has agreed to pay me back for the van over time, mostly because I put myself into debt to buy this van.
THE POINT
The money raised from this campaign will go directly to me to offset the severe debt this purchase has put me in, but it will also reduce the amount my mom has to pay me back for the van, essentially making it community-funded.
What this means is that she can save her money to find better accommodations and retrofit the van with things like solar power, a real bed, storage, or even a trailer; all things she cannot do with the resources she has or would have access to.
To put it in bullet points:
- The money is helping pull me out of the debt I incurred by trying to be helpful.
- The money will reduce the cost of the van so she can spend the money she acquires on more important things.
- The total cost is for the van, registration, and travel/hardship expenses to make the journey.
I am hoping this relatively small sum can be covered through your generosity and can prove to my mom that people are kind and can be trusted. She has been a strong and resourceful woman her entire life and does not deserve undue hardship.
Please help my mom and, by extension, me. Kindness is free, but it doesn't put food on the table or heat in the shelter. You can help change that.
If you cannot donate and you made it this far, thank you for your time. Please share this as far as you can. The wider the reach, the lower the cost to an individual. <3
Bonus picture of a stray kitty for making it this far:
