East San Gabriel, Dec 31, 2018 (Issuewire.com) - Tonis Closet Foundation has launched a 25-hour Countdown to Safe and Sound fundraiser to assist a working mom to end a housing crisis. From 10 pm December 30th to 12 midnight December 31st, our goal is to help her Countdown to 2019 assured that she and her family are secure in their home and can continue to pay rent as agreed throughout the year. We humbly ask for your support in this endeavor that started early in December 2018. We are accepting donations through January 2 via the Fundly website www.fundly.com/countdown-to-safe-and-sound and PayPal: aclay@toniscloset.org.
Early in December, a 17-year-old young lady came to the Tonis Closet Foundation agency to ask assistance for her family in crisis. The daughter reported that the landlord has been harassing her mother through phone calls, text messages and weekly home visits to pay January to rent 30 days early to relieve his financial burden. Mom has given money allotted to enjoy Christmas and New Years celebrations to meet their demands, and although it has bought her some time, the landlord insists that its not enough. With the looming deadline of December 31, the stress and headache her mom continues to endure brings hopelessness as she and her siblings cannot do much to help.
The communication breakdown occurred at the end of November after the tenants last rent payment. It was revealed through conversation that the landlord had been in financial and marital straits since June 2018 when his wife lost his job. He stated that the mortgage on the $4400 loft theyd purchased had become burdensome for them and they were desperately in need of the additional income. Hed sent a ledger showing a delinquent amount and added in Januarys rent to be paid by or before December 31st. The tenant has at times, paid up to $1200 over her agreed-upon rent amount to prevent any type of delinquency. Although there had been arrangements before over the years, this was an unusual request.
Despite the money paid in the first 2 weeks of December, the landlord expressed concern that she wouldnt meet the deadline, the apartment has now been listed for rent and prospective tenants have been viewing the occupied residence each weekend. No court documents have been filed. Mom was told if she refused or didnt open the door, the landlord would use his key to enter the property at will whether her family was there or not.
Her mother is working a full-time job, a part-time night job and a Lyft driver to put together money to meet the demands of her financially-strapped landlord. Because of her income alone, let alone the income of her grown children, the family falls outside of the income qualifications for financial assistance from most local government agencies. Family and friends have been able to offer emotional support and legal advice, but the landlord continues to put pressure on the single mom whose regular payday is the 2nd week of the month. Shes been successful with credit repair and is working to pre-qualify for a home loan as a first-time buyer, so she is hesitant to take out any new loans or create any new debt.
Tonis Closet Foundation has assisted the mom in talks with the landlord to negotiate more time for the mom to raise funds needed to satisfy the landlords request. The tenant has reassured the landlord, that shes still working, shes still income qualified, and nothing has changed in her ability to pay rent. The landlord has continued to threaten wage garnishment for the amount requested but assures her he doesnt want her to move. He just wants the money ASAP. He says he will accept any form of payment, but any bounced checks will force him to call the police.
Our Safe and Sound campaign focuses on a serious issue that most working people will find difficult to discuss. For many, landlord-tenant issues are cut and dry, i.e. the tenant pays rent to the landlord and if rent is not paid, the landlord has the right to evict. Just like most dont believe that working people experience financial breakdowns, many dont believe that a landlord would take action outside of the typical remedies allowed by law.
The BridgeSource project is our flagship financial initiative to assist middle class working families build a stable bridge of resources to move from crisis to safety and return to a sound environment.
More about the Founder:
Founder and Executive Director, Andi Clay fuels her passion with firsthand knowledge that resources to manage breakdowns are extremely limited for those who earn above the poverty line. Many working people live daily under the overwhelming risk that one small physical or financial breakdown can lead to unpaid time off work, job loss or eviction. Its our organizations mission to lower or eliminate that risk. She believes that displacement and crisis among the working population is a result of unstable job income, stringent housing qualifications, strained landlord/tenant relationships, family hardships, financial stress, debt and money management along with many other circumstances. No one who earns a living should be without adequate housing.
Andi's personal experiences have taken her through homelessness with 3 children while being employed full-time along with the challenges of saving for a large rental deposit, meeting rental criteria and maintenance of high-cost rents in California. Her understanding of programs and services offered by local government agencies provides a unique insight on how people working in mid-level employment or striving to achieve work that earns above the poverty line are met with limitations should they ever fall into hardship. In the current economy working people are doing whatever they can do and have to do to get by and Toni's Closet Foundation believes that to be unacceptable. Working people deserve an abundance programs and services that go beyond increasing debt and raising the risk of falling back into poverty.
Andis vision for the Foundation was born when she found herself short on resources as she looked to escape from her own abusive relationship with her children. After calling emergency hotlines to report a credible threat, she was advised that local law enforcement was unable to step in because a crime had not yet been committed. She quickly learned that most shelters for women and children were full and she was advised to contact friends or family that could take her in. Other programs that offered services informed her that reported income or car ownership prevented her from qualifying for motel vouchers or other programs designed to assist victims of abuse. Her only way out was to get creative with personal resources and rely on the kindness of strangers to successfully escape her circumstances.
For More Information:
Tonis Closet Foundation is currently accepting donations via Fundly: www.fundly.com/countdown-to-safe-and-sound and via PayPal: aclay@toniscloset.org
Website: www.tonisclosetfoundation.org
Twitter: @toniscloset
Instagram: @tonis._closet
Email: aclay@toniscloset.org
Phone: (562) 294-0673
Contact: Andi Clay aclay@toniscloset.og
Media Contact
Imurj Public Relations
9097182173
Source :Toni's Closet Foundation
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