A single mom unexpectedly lost her job causing her to be unable to pay her rent for the month of May placing her and her high school age child and child who is a young adult at risk for homelessness. She has already found a new job and is motivated to get back on her feet. Would you be willing to show this mom a little kindness? She would appreciate any help that can be provided to help keep her family in their home.

KINSHIP. The kin caregiver is the Paternal Aunt of the two children she is currently caring for. The children were placed under emergency care placement on 3/3/25. The caregiver is requesting rental assistance in the amount of $1,000.00. She is having financial hardship because her husband was laid off work for a few weeks and just received a new job. This unemployment caused them to struggle with paying their rent and needs the rental assistance to get back on their feet. The caregiver identifies herself as nurturing and resilient in stressful times. She is doing everything possible to keep paying her rent to reside in a safe community for her nephews. This support will enable her and her nephews to remain in their current residence. Currently, the caregiver is receiving foster care payments, and her husband is employed. Once this need is met the family will be able to sustain from her husband’s income as he is getting more hours as well as the foster care payments for her nephews.

KINSHIP. The kin caregiver currently works full time and needs financial assistance for rent. His rent has doubled due to a decrease in his housing assistance benefits, which significantly increased his portion of the monthly rent. Despite maintaining full-time employment, the sudden increase has created a financial burden. CG is currently seeking a second job to help cover the additional costs and continue to support his family, including his nephew for whom he is the legal guardian. Providing this support will help maintain the current kinship placement and prevent the risk of the children being removed from a stable and loving home. Without the assistance the family may face housing instability, which could jeopardize the placement and overall safety. Ensuring the family remains housed supports the children’s emotional and physical well-being and preserves their connection to a familiar caregiver in a stable environment. Currently, the caregiver has income from a full-time job and receives a monthly child support payment for his nephew whom he has legal guardianship over. However, these sources of income are not sufficient to cover the increased rent and other essential living expenses. He is actively searching for a second job to help close the gap. Once this immediate financial need is addressed, the caregiver will be in a stronger position to maintain stability. The support will allow him time to secure additional employment and adjust his budget.

KINSHIP. Caregiver is caring for his 18 year old sister and 13 year old younger brother. He was informed that their previous apartment was too small to meet foster care standards unless they moved into a more suitable home, he risked losing placement. The caregiver urgently found a larger apartment that meets the requirements. However, he is unable to afford the move-in costs and security deposit due to limited income and lack of financial assistance. This support will maintain the kin placement by securing a safe and adequate home that meets the requirements. Without this assistance, the caregiver may lose placement of his brother due to non-compliance with the social workers request. The support will prevent disruption and trauma for the child by ensuring he can remain safely with his sibling in a stable home environment. At present, the caregiver’s only income comes from his full-time work as a Spark delivery driver for Walmart. He does not yet receive any kinship or foster care funding to support his brother, which has made it difficult to cover the immediate and unexpected costs associated with the move. Once the move-in costs are covered, the caregiver will be able to sustain the household through his full-time job income. He is in the process of applying for kinship funding and other resources to support the long-term placement. The housing itself is affordable within his monthly income, and the one-time assistance will ensure the family's stability moving forward.

CW is actively working with a family with 2 children with Autism. Caregivers are also developmentally delayed. The oldest child is easy startled and frustrated by the loud noises that the youngest child makes. When these noises are made, oldest child runs out of home unattended. This harness will allow for the entire family to enjoy outside time safely. Youngest child also runs off when family is outside. This will keep him secure. Child is 35 lbs. See below:

Lehoo Castle Toddler Leash for Boys, 4-in-1 Toddler Harness with Leash with Anti Lost Wrist Link for Kids, Baby Leash for Walking, Kids Leash Backpack (Dinosaur Blue)

The current resource parent for a sibling set of two (2) children, female (12y) and male (8y) is requesting new dressers for the children. The children are currently in need bigger dressers to help them organize their room. As the children have been in care for almost a year a lot of their personal items have increased, and the resource parent is asking for bigger dresser to help the children keep their belongings organized.

A young family from Afghanistan arrived in Holland a few months ago and is in need of support. While the dad speaks a few phrases in English, they primarily speak Pashto and have 4 children (plus one more on the way due in August). Their 10 year old son is currently enrolled at an elementary school on the northside of Holland. The younger siblings are a 5 year old boy and two girls aged 4 and 6 months. The father worked for the US Military in Afghanistan for 15 years before coming to Lansing with his family in 2021. He worked in a car factory in Lansing, but decided to come to Holland to be closer to friends when his family lost housing. The father is still searching for local employment, but is able to drive his own small car. They have borrowed funds for rent the past few months, but are running out of options. Any help would be a gift as we search for more sustainable income for their family!

Movement West Michigan has been made aware of the needs of this family and are working with multiple local agencies and churches to coordinate immediate support as they work toward long-term stability.

Mom needs help getting her electric bill paid. she is scheduled to be shut off tomorrow.

When hardship hits, we turn to our church family. A dedicated single mom of 4, who also cares for a young adult who has aged out of the foster care system, needs our help. She works full-time as a home health aide driving up to 70 miles a day to care for her clients, part of what she does is taking them to appointments, and picking up prescriptions and groceries. She also drives her kids to school daily. One afternoon, after school pickup, she was hit by a driver who fled the scene. Thankfully, she and the kids were unharmed, but her car was badly damaged and had to be towed. With no backup vehicle, she’s rented a car for 3 weeks to keep working and caring for her family but she can’t afford to keep renting a car. To keep insurance affordable, she has a high deductible. She’s saved $600 but still needs $1,400 to get her car out of the body shop this week. The body shop won’t accept payments, and the charities she contacted don’t cover this type of need. The children’s father is not involved or supportive. Church family, let’s come together and help this hardworking mom and her kids get their car back. No gift is too small. Please select “Fund” when donating. Every dollar makes a difference!

127 Place received a request from a member of a local church for a mom with three pre-school-age kids who are living in a motel. This family is from out-of-town looking for safety and a new life. They have no family support. They were just approved for an apartment with a move-in date of June 1, but they need help with deposits.

Mom started a job recently and has raised about half of the deposits. 127 Place is committing $500, but that leaves about $400 still needed for the deposits.

They do have beds, but nothing else, so 127 Place will also be working to provide other essentials for them to get started in their apartment. If you would like to help with donations for this family, please contact me by email ******@email.com or by text,(###) ###-####.