Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Can you help a single mom????

Update Feb 2018: unfortunately, Lori passed away in the National Forest near Flagstaff, AZ in 2017. She and Russell never did get that trailer.  He is now living with an aunt.  Their dogs have been rehomed.  

An acquaintance of mine and her teenage son are living on pennies a month, out of her car.  It was an adventure when he was a little boy, but is becoming tough as he approaches man-size.  They both have medical issues which prevent them from what some consider a “normal” lifestyle.  If you have been following me awhile, you know there is not much that is normal about my lifestyle, but this single mom has it tougher than I ever did.  Please help them if you can, even if it’s only a couple dollars.  Thank you.
(go fund me link removed).
Their story: 
These fine folks are Lori and her son Russell. They have been scraping by on a little over $500 a month in child support and disability from Russ's estranged father plus food stamps.
lori-russell
Lori is a 48-year-old single mom with a heart condition. Russ is 14 and suffers from nystagmus, a condition of involuntary eye movement that limits his vision.  He's a great kid and he and Lori love each other very much. Lori's heart condition may qualify her for disability, which she's exploring with the help of some friends.

They're good people. And they need some help.
Lori and Russell both love their nomadic, outdoor-oriented life but they need more shelter, stability, and of course, money. With a trailer, they can have all three. With a trailer, Lori would be able to get a job. That's what she wants to do. But she can't get one without a real place to live.
With a simple, small travel trailer, she can qualify for many of the thousands of so-called 'work camping' jobs around the U.S., from camp hosting in state and national forests and RV campgrounds to hospitality jobs in theme parks and resorts.  (Most of these places will not hire people living out of their vehicles.)
Lori asked me to help her once, she only asked if she could buy me $20 worth of food, for $20 cash so she could buy gas to get to a job.  That’s a very tight budget folks.  Have you been that broke before???
Please read the rest of their story and see more photos on the GoFundMe site… and help a little if you can.  Thank you. (go fund me link removed)
P.S. Yesterday I unexpectedly came into a little bit of extra money and I am sharing some of that with Lori and Russell.  Thank you, Titan.





4 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for the donation and for sharing the gofundme site. You are a good friend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just paying it forward. I got a lot of that to do.

      Delete
  2. Because of Lori and her son, and the fact they did not use the money raised for the purpose it was intended, I will not suggest any other Go-Fund-Me projects to my followers. Even when you know the people you would like to give to, know also there is no assurances your money will be used as you intend it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. As it turns out, Lori passed away while camped near Flagstaff a couple weeks ago. Her son has gone to live with his Aunt.

    ReplyDelete

Who is Swankie?

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Anywhere, USA, Full-Time USA traveler, United States
In 2006, I was shopping for a wheelchair. By 2007, I had new knees, better health and by 2008 a kayak. In Aug 2013, I kayaked my 49th state, Alaska, at the Holgate Glacier and in May 2014, I kayaked Hawaii, my 50th state, to celebrate my 70th Birthday and the finale to the wonderful adventure of Kayaking America? Next up... Solo Hiking the Arizona Trail, 820 miles? Maybe. Still healing from shoulder and trying to decide.

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