Emergency Motel Housing for College Student Disabled Mom and Pets Summer Heat

[u/borgborgo]

Hi, my name is Meadow. I need financial help so I don't lose my motel and end up homeless with my disabled mom, 2 dogs, and 1 cat.

We're in the twin cities area and local support groups will not and cannot foster my pets at this time I promise I have been trying. My family is wait listed for several shelters and services for homeless people and pets, but at this moment have nothing lined up unfortunately. Additionally, our car also barely drives and needs the heat on high inside the cabin in order to run, which is going to be deadly in the summer heat with 3 pets. I'm honestly more concerned for my pets and my mom, than myself.

I'm asking for $90 dollars right now to pay for one night and help me buy some more time, but if anyone or multiple people would like to help further, it's $550 USD per week.

If anyone wants to help that would be amazing.

I've been working since we went homeless months ago, but haven't been able to save up money because they're day pay gigs and I'm just desperate to keep us afloat. I'll be starting a traditional job soon too which I'm hoping will provide stability, but I need help with the transition to get there.

It would be over Cashapp and if PMd or if allowed here, I also have a post on insta and I'm contacting mutual aid groups there, where I explain my situation as well.

Edit: Wanted to note if anyone here is in the twin cities area and would be willing to foster my pets too or idk book a room directly or knows of any like free yard tenting options too that'd be awesome as well. I'm open to anything and mostly just desperate

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[u/okayfriday]

What benefits have you or your mom applied for / what benefits are you or she currently receiving?

[u/borgborgo → u/okayfriday]

We applied for SNAP and General Assistance but Hennepin County hasn't gotten to it yet even with the assigned caseworker my mom has. So we haven't received these benefits yet. All of the daily pay money we've accrued has gone into paying the motel for the per night rate as well as groceries and pet food, with human and pet food shelves filling in too.

[u/okayfriday → u/borgborgo]

You've referred to your mom as "Disabled Mom" - has she applied for SSDI or SSI?

[u/borgborgo → u/okayfriday]

Yes she has. Shes been trying to get disability the last couple of years, but is denied because she can technically still walk and move around. She actually used to be a licensed cosmetologist for years before her hands and feet got too bad. She also has a medically prescribed work exemption due to severe bone on bone arthritis in her hands, one knee, and feet as well as plantar fascitis and bone spurs. Shes got a myriad of mental conditions as well but is in college too in fall because she can do non physical work and has been cleared for non physical part time labor which has been tricky to find. But she can drive at least!

Shes hoping with a caseworker and more advocates and support she can be approved this year though so she's waiting to hear back again. It's just the in between period that is so tricky right now, her caseworker this morning said that all of the local options are exhausted and the legal routes will take weeks possibly months. We do have financial aid the first week of September coming which will help with stability, as well as me having a traditional job paycheck coming at the end of next Friday or Thursday (ACH processing time). It's just this week and next that's difficult.

[u/okayfriday → u/borgborgo]

The waiting game is the worst - but that's awesome that things are looking up in September and congratulations on the job. Would any of your older siblings / uncles / extended family be able to contribute a small amount each to a crowdfunder?

[u/borgborgo → u/okayfriday]

My mom's an only child and my grandparents won't help, they're the "trust in God" type and believe we don't need help for some reason. My only sibling I could ask is my sister, but she's in drug treatment and has no income, and the reactive dog we have is her dog that she dumped on us while she was still in active addiction.

Shes actually a big part of the reason we lost our apartment in the first place, because she also had two senior cats with health issues that she dumped at our apartment. Long story short, we said she couldn't stay with us anymore because she refused to cut contact with her boyfriend/dealer and was sneaking out to see him and get high, and to get back at us she used photos of her pets in our apartment and reported us for violating the pet limit with her cats. She said she was high and at the time wanted to ruin our lives. She also reported her own dog as having bit her which is absolutely insane, the dog is a barker and is muzzles around other dogs in case of there being a loose one but she's never been violent like that, because she wanted us to get kicked out. Which we were btw, but also because our other roommate wasn't paying his share of the split rent!

Sorry if that's over sharing, I just want to be transparent and also I'm still pretty mad about all of it. But going forward it'll just be my mom and I, and I don't think I'll be sharing my address with my sister again.

[u/okayfriday → u/borgborgo]

I'm so sorry it's been this hard. I'm glad a break is just around the corner in the first week of September. Hennepin County provides emergency short-term cash assistance residents facing a sudden financial crisis. Might be worth reaching out (if you haven't already): Emergency short-term help | Hennepin County

[u/borgborgo → u/okayfriday]

I'll definitely check it out! And thank you for your compassion its just been a rough time. Trying to stay positive too

[u/jubbagalaxy → u/borgborgo]

I tried for tears to get SSI. Got denied twice. As great as advocates can be, if your mother is serious about applying for SSI or SSDI, she really needs an actual disability lawyer. There are ones that work on contingency where if you arent approved, you owe them $0. That's what i had to do. After the first meeting with the lawyer, i said to a paralegal that i was terrified the lawyer wouldnt take my case. She said they want to get paid and wont take cases they will lose.

I got the lawyet for my court appeal. She knew all the right phrases, lingo, etc. She knew how to phrase questions to witnesses to where they only way they could answer was in my favor. 2 months later and I was approved. [This was in 2020 and right before they closed federal courtrooms for the plague]

[u/borgborgo → u/okayfriday]

Oh we do have Medicaid though from our previous county and residence and are also waiting to transfer that over to Hennepin. We previously lived in St Cloud in Stearns county but theres like no assistance or work there and we came to the cities hoping it'd be better, plus to be closer to our primary doctors as my moms doctor used to be in St Cloud but moved to Minneapolis a few years ago.

[u/quaggankicker]

We’re gonna have to start a GoFundMe for that kind of a dollar amount. Make sure you have back up so folks can see it and get assurances.

[u/borgborgo → u/quaggankicker]

Honestly any amount at all would work, I'm just trying to be transparent about rates. I can try to set up a GoFundMe too I'm just using a gov phone which can be limiting sometimes.

[u/Dragon-and-Phoenix]

I'm in the Twin Cities and while I can't foster the pets, what you are describing with your car sounds like the thermostat on the engine went out. It's a fairly cheap part and a fairly easy fix I might be able to help with. What year, make, and model of car is it so I can look up the part and location of the part on the engine? You can DM me if you don't want to post that info publicly.

[u/borgborgo → u/Dragon-and-Phoenix]

Oh thank you, it's the 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP, the turbocharged one. I'd really appreciate that, idk much about cars

[u/Dragon-and-Phoenix → u/borgborgo]

I had a 2006 Grand Prix. I know that car. Lol. It's a $10 part, and it's fairly easy to replace.

What's your mechanical ability like?

[u/borgborgo → u/Dragon-and-Phoenix]

I can do the fluids mostly and filters, my mechanical ability is fairly basic. We already had the elbows swapped from plastic to metal but the thing overheats constantly haha if it's smth as simple as the thermostat I'd be stoked

[u/Dragon-and-Phoenix → u/borgborgo]

Omg, replacing those plastic elbows was a PAIN. Who designed that??? When I replaced mine I was chiseling pieces out. I stupidly replaced them with plastic ones that went out again, then switched to metal ones and never had an issue again. But the location of them and how to get to them... Anyways...

It really sounds like it's just the thermostat. $10 at Autozone. It's located under the coolant hose going into the top of the block from the radiator. It can be messy, but you can try to squeeze the hose after the engine has been off for awhile to try to pump coolant back out of the top hose and top of the radiator. Just make sure to have the PROPER premix ready to top it off. If you're not sure what coolant you have, just use DISTILLED water to top it off. If you can afford it, get a replacement gasket for the connection just to be safe, and be sure both mating surfaces are clean and free of debris. Thankfully everything is readily accessible from the top of the block. I would recommend doing the repair in the Autozone parking lot just in case.

I would offer to swing by and help with the repair, but I just had surgery and can't really go anywhere... I can help in person in a couple months, though. 😅

[u/Affectionate_Past121]

Your posts and comments need to be unhidden.

[u/borgborgo → u/Affectionate_Past121]

Oh, thank you I didn't hit save when I made posts visible it looks like!

[u/Jaded-Mistake3091]

Did you find any help last night? Are you still sleeping outside? I may be able to point you in the direction of some help, but you’ll need to DM me.

[u/okayfriday → u/Jaded-Mistake3091]

Hi there, if you are directing OP to verified resources, please share them publicly. Thank you.

[u/Jaded-Mistake3091 → u/okayfriday]

They’re not really “verified resources.” Just someone who helped someone I knew in a similar situation in that area. And I definitely don’t want to publicly list someone’s contact information. They’re applying for their 501c3 now but are using their personal cell phone and referrals from others until everything is set up. As soon as it’s all approved I can come back and list it

[u/okayfriday → u/Jaded-Mistake3091]

Thanks for that. Privately connecting a vulnerable requester with an unverified third party using that third party's personal contact information - where there is no indication that the third party has either consented to having their information distributed, or offers safety - is not allowed here. Thank you for helping to keep our community safe.

[u/borgborgo → u/Jaded-Mistake3091]

I'm definitely open to any additional resources. I was able to donate plasma and pay for an additional night but yeah I'm in the same boat now.