As an Entrepreneur, I dread the holidays, especially Thanksgiving, because the entire world seems to shut down. I can’t go to my gym, I can’t go to my office, and I can’t call clients or potential clients. It’s annoying LOL but understandable. So today, as I basically have no other option than to sit in my car all day until I start work at 5pm, I will utilize my time to reflect, appreciate and acknowledge others, and brainstorm how I can help more.
At the forefront of my mind is of course the single mother with 2 daughters sitting in their hotel room right this minute on Thanksgiving day. I have made it my priority to check in with them daily to make sure they’re doing ok, and reminding them I am just a phone call away if they need anything at all. They know I am doing the best I can to help with the limited resources I have, they know I am spreading the word online in hopes to find the right avenues for assistance, they may even be reading this article today.
Here’s an update on their current situation.
They are staying in a hotel room in Long Beach, CA. They found a great price on a room in a decent area, much safer than Los Angeles. Their room has a small fridge, microwave and a TV to keep the kids entertained. The mom also chose Long Beach because it’s closer to her planned employment in January, as well as another possible job available sooner in the same area. However, they are an hour away from the welfare office with no vehicle, so I drive 90 miles to take them to their appointments, and any other errands that they need to run. I would drive 200 miles if necessary.
Welfare gives out 3 hotel vouchers good for 16 days/nights – but there’s a catch of course. The first voucher is for 7 nights, the second is for another 7, then the third is for 2 more nights. So we must go in 3 times to be able let the mom and 2 girls stay in the hotel room for 16 nights. Plus, these vouchers are put onto an EBT card, and the room can only be paid for in cash, and every time cash is taken off the EBT card, the mom is charged a fee.
This week we obtained the second voucher, and plan on getting the third in just a couple days. The mom has an appointment the first week of December to hopefully sign up for another program called GAIN which helps by giving an additional $250/mo for housing. With the $400/mo already provided by welfare, this would bring their total to $650/mo of which they can afford to pay for a room – in cash. Remember, all this money is put onto her EBT card, so if you can help them find a room somewhere in Long Beach for $650 or less, they can pay in cash.
The mom is of course searching for a job as well, as the 2 potential jobs are simply not here yet. I am also helping her by creating a clean and professional resume, and giving her leads for potential work in office and administrative work, as this is where most of her experience lies. But she is also looking at random jobs just to get any type of income to help feed her daughters.
I don’t know where they will sleep next week. It makes me angry, yet motivated. So I’m learning as much as I can as quickly as I can to help in anyway I can. I have never done anything like this before, I know nothing about welfare or housing limitations or anything of the sort. But like my web development business, I learn by doing. I set a goal and fly confidently through all tasks knowing I will succeed, even without knowing how or when I will meet success. It’s easier to succeed, when you have no other choice.
So, I will be spending my Thanksgiving looking online and learning new ways to help house a single mom with 2 daughters in Long Beach. I will do my best to find a landlord who may allow me to help get them housing for barter, since my expertise is in building websites, creating custom graphic and print media, online marketing and branding. To learn more, you may visit my company website at http://inspiredbyidd.com. I have 60 clients internationally, and I am confident I can help any business owner, land owner or anyone else improve their bottom line with my 15 years experience.
I brainstorm, that’s just what I do. I ask you to help me brainstorm to help improve the lives of 3 people. There’s no drugs, alcohol or violence in this story, just an unfortunate situation that so many are also going through at this time. Thank you for reading this, I honestly appreciate your time, and I know they appreciate your effort as well. And if you know anyone with a spare room, or a vehicle to donate, please let me know. If you’d like to help by donating a couple bucks, you may click the Donate button at the bottom left of this page, which goes straight to my account, then straight to the single mom. You have my word. Please enjoy your holiday, and appreciate those around you today. Happy Thanksgiving.
