Familes

Assisting single parent families has been our primary focus. As stated in our mission, we want to help families move from struggling to successful - however the parent defines successful. With so much need all around us, our parameters are to donate to those who are ready to move forward. Since that is difficult to determine on an application or phone call, we turn to non-profits and churches for referrals. This also helps us remain anonymous. Although we make monetary donations to organizations, we prefer in kind donations for items requested by families.

Donations to Church Families:

Gifts For Hope got their start by working with referrals from churches. This not only maintained our anonymity, but served as a vetting process. With the close relationships many pastors and church leaders have with their parishioners, they were able to easily identify people with legitimate needs. Some of the people we were able to assist were:

• A single mother with a disabled son was having a difficult time being able to work and no longer was able to drive. We provided Uber cards and helped pay her utility bills.

• A single mom was supporting both her child and mother. Since she was not receiving child and had a low paying job, her goal was to get her real estate license. She achieved her goal and found a job. As a new professional, she needed a safe care and appropriate clothing. We provided money for new car tires and some professional clothing.

• A single mom with four children suffered from a stroke. She was not receiving assistance from her ex-husband and therefore needed assistance to support her family.

• A father needed money to help with funeral expenses for his daughter.

• After the sudden death of a single mother, her teenage daughter wanted to go to a 5 day summer ministry camp but the family could not afford it. We provided funds to help her go to camp.

• A single mom with a young child needed help with daycare for her child so that she could look for and secure employment. We provided 2 months of day care to give her time to find a job.

  
  

Donations to Crisis Center for South Suburbia(CCSS)

The Crisis Center for South Suburbia is a non-profit community organization that provides emergency shelter and other essential services for individuals and families victimized by domestic violence and addresses the societal issues that contribute to domestic violence. Over the years, we have developed some mutually beneficial processes and programs with CCSS:

• Initiated a ‘moving fund’ to move families into their own apartments. CCSS provides transitional housing for some of their clients. However, they do not have the manpower or budget to move families. Once we learned that the counselors themselves were helping with the physical move, we created a fund to pay for the moving company. To date we have moved six families.

• We created a process where the case workers/managers can submit a Client Assistance Request on behalf of their clients. Our board then reviews the applications and approves accordingly. Many mother’s fleeing for shelter do not have a car or driver’s license for a variety of reasons. This further complicates their delicate situation. The cost of transportation(either Uber or car/gas/insurance) can consume or exceed their income. Transportation is a basic need in order to get back on their feet.

  Examples of approved assistance are:

  • A full-time working mother of two very young children, one disabled, found herself spending her paycheck on Ubers to daycare, work and back. She decided to save her money to buy a car and walk. As a result, she woke up at 6am, walks 20 minutes to the bus, takes 2 separate buses, walks another 15 minutes to day care, walks back to catch a thrid and final bus to arrive at work for her 11am shift. Then makes the reverse trip back every night. We gave her 5 months of Uber transportation 3 months of day care.

  • A young mother with one toddler needed assistance getting to doctors’ appointments. We provided $750 in Uber cards.

  • A woman working on a college training program needed a new transmission for her car so that she could get to school.

  • A woman with an infant fled her abuser from out of state. She moved into transitional housing without family or friends within hundreds of miles. We provided a tv for the family in order to provide some down time.

  • A women with young school age children recently fled her abuser husband. She was trying to get on her feet by working for Uber Eats and Door-Dash, taking her children with her while she works. She requested a tablet for each of child for two reasons. First, to keep them occupied in the car while she works. Second, to assist them with home schooling.

• During CCSS Spring appeal, donations are doubled. We gladly made a lump sum donation at that time.

Donations to Home 2 Home Project:

We discovered H2H through our work with CCSS. Starting with one woman volunteering in a homeless shelter, quickly evolved into a thriving non-profit. Typically, families moving out of a shelter and into transitional housing/apartments, are only given a mattress. H2H provides ‘Move-In Days’ for these families by filling their new homes with gently used and refurbished furniture. Their goal, ‘take gifts from one home in order to create a new home for someone else, hence the name “The Home 2 Home Project”.’

• When we initially learned of H2H’s great work, we couldn’t resist buying the remaining items on one client’s move in wish list.

• Subsequently, we have helped increase their inventory by purchasing many items from their ‘Ongoing’ Amazon Wishlist.

• I cannot come close to articulating this touching story, so I will go with a brief summary. A single mother with 9 children had been living in a 1 bedroom hotel for 1 year, after her deceased grandma’s will was not signed. Due to the perseverance of Janelle, the founder of H2H, and her work with CEDA, they were able to find the family a 6 bedroom home. Thru donations to H2H, they were able to completely furnish the home, including outdoor patio furniture and outdoor toys for the kids. To top it off, a very generous H2H donor gave the family a car!! This story is not only about the touching generousity of people, but the heart and determination of a mother. This mother is full of strength and courage. You can tell her well behaved children come from a place of love. I was so honored to be able to participate in their move in day!!

• We were honored to be able to provide beds for the family. A big thank you to Bill at Mattress Firm in Orland Park for delivering and setting up the beds at the last minute - and for a great price.

• We also donated diapers to the family: The reason this is noteworthy is that we learned from SWADDLE that food stamps(now called SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) do not cover diapers. They are an incredibly expensive, essential item that families need.

  
  
  

Donations to Zelda’s Kitchen Witches:

• Zelda's Kitchen Witches provide new kitchen items to women moving into transitional housing seeking an independent life. As most non-profits, Zelda’s was hit hard by the need and dwindling supply during Covid. Their supporters threw an online shower to replenish Zelda’s inventory. We purchased the highest priority items on their wish list:

Donations directly to individuals:

Not all referrals come from organizations. Some of our close contacts have reached out to us for donations to specific families:

• A single mother with three children (ages 10, 11 and 13) was living in a shelter because her ex-husband had threatened her life several times. As a result, she left her home, quit her job and moved into a shelter. She was told if she didn’t find a home for her boys, the state (California) would put her children in foster care. We provided three months rent money to help her start a new life.

• Rosie: a sweet little 5 year old girl from Grand Rapids suffered from a 5 pound Wilms tumor, which is a rare kidney cancer that affects young children. The mother quit her job to care for Rosie and her sister.

• Christmas giving tree: We picked 26 Christmas tags for children in Chicago. We selected the tags requesting the most basic items such as socks, coats, hair dryers. It was heart breaking to see such humble requests for Christmas. We gladly gladly donated what they requested with a few bonus items.

• A married woman in her 30's with 3 children under the age of 12, suffered a serious stroke and found herself in need of complete care. Although the husband works full time, their insurance ran out. They were advised to get a divorce so that a government agency would provide care for the wife. The family is in serious debt, needing to pay for all medications as well as any treatments. They are scrounging just to put food on the table. We contributed money to help pay for their basic needs - food, gas, bills, etc..

• Two young women requested money to go on a church trip to Dominican Republic with a team from Suncrest Christian Church. The one-week trip focused on work projects and putting on vacation bible school lessons.