So many people who live paycheck to paycheck are not far from total financial ruin. That much was true for a Baltimore single mom named Yvonne.
Yvonne is gainfully employed. She who works hard every day to provide for her two young kids. But when her mother became ill in the fall of 2022, she had to take unpaid leave from work to care for her. When her mother died, she also had to pay the crushing funeral expenses, which certainly weren't in her budget.
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Without another option, Yvonne fell behind on rent.
Days ago, she was evicted from her apartment. She and her kids had lived there for the past four years. But just like that, they were homeless.
She used the last of her money to put their belongings into storage and took only what they needed for the night with them.
Terrified and without anywhere to go, Yvonne parked her car in a supermarket parking lot. It's not the way any mother wants to start off a new year, but there they were. Homeless. Sleeping in a car. Unsure of what the next day would bring.
Luckily, someone noticed Yvonne and her kids, and instead of calling the police, that Good Samaritan left a note under the windshield of the car offering help. Yvonne read the note, which told her about an organization that can help raise funds for housing in emergency situations like hers. She had no idea just how near that help was.
The note told Yvonne to contact Shelly Tygielski through her Instagram page. Shelly is the founder of the organization Pandemic of Love, a grassroots mutual aid community that she started in March 2020. Cautiously hopeful, Yvonne reached out, not knowing if she'd even get a reply.
Shelly did reply and immediately got to work.
Shelly asked Yvonne what she needed. She responded that a safe, warm place close to her kids' school was all. So Shelly put together a post, sharing Yvonne's story, along with information about how to donate on her page.
Shelly also secured the single mom and her kids a room at a local Holiday Inn for a monthlong stay. That way, they wouldn't have to spend one more night sleeping in the car while hoping for their luck to change.
So far, with the help of that passerby and Shelly's post, it looks like their luck has changed. The post touched so many people, perhaps some who know all too well how easy it is to fall behind on rent as a single mom, and those people came to Yvonne's aid.
As of this morning, Yvonne has enough money in donations for a security deposit and first month's rent at a new place. Shelly, who is deeply moved at the generosity of those who donated, just shared a joyful update on Instagram.
"I am so, so, so relieved, so elated," she shared in her stories. "Just so happy for Yvonne and her family and so grateful for each and every one of you because not only did we hit our goal but we surpassed our goal."
Of course, Yvonne could absolutely benefit from continued donations. As anyone who has ever lived paycheck to paycheck knows, especially as a one-income parent, Yvonne's story could be any of ours. We should all act accordingly.
Follow Shelly's page on Instagram @MindfulSkaterGirl to stay up to date on others who are in need. Also follow the global movement, @PandemicOfLoveUSA.
