(updated May 12, 2008)

I have been away from Aidpage, but not completely out of the picture. What I have I been up to?

I had been making many attempts to still get the word out about what I am doing, but I had not been received well at a couple places:

• Myspace kicked me off four times. The fourth time, I managed to keep the page running for a few months, and I logged in only to discover that I was removed once again. I am not sure what their reasoning was. It was a description of how I was helping others. I had helped many families through that page so it was very disappointing, and I lost track of people in line to receive help.
  
• I posted a page on Squidoo.com. and that page, too was removed after receiving a lot of criticism from members there. I wasnt asking for money; only describing how I was helping others. Apparently I seemed a little too good to be true or people just didnt believe me.

I HAVE been accepted with open arms at WishUponAHero.com. I am very active there under the name 'The Empty Hanger' Here is how I have helped and currently help others. To date, I have granted over 20 wishes, and more that is not tallied on the site.

• Sending cards for birthdays, encouragement, friendship, sympathy. That just costs a stamp!
• Offering advice on situations
• Sending books (via media mail)
• Sending spiritual literature (I returned to church in January accepting Jesus into my life)
  
• Sending small packages of clothes
• Sending coupons
• Sending school supplies
  
• Sending my old eyeglass frames to woman who cannot afford new ones. (current)
• Workiing on a HUGE giveaway starting May 1st for WUAH. (shipping covered by anonymous donor)
  

OTHER CHANGES

• 'The Empty Hanger' has been scaled back to a local operation. It was a difficult decision. Aside from what I do above, I still manage to provide packages of good usable clothing to persons in need. I find them at the local food pantry mostly, and word of mouth. Someone will email me at projectemptyhanger@mail2me.com, and we arrange a mutual public meeting place for the person's safety and mine. Its worked out pretty well, and I bypass shipping costs altogether. I do ask a lot of questions beforhand, because my genorisity has been taken advantage of on several occasions, and it is how I screen people. I find that those that are evasive are not being honest with me.
• I am considering turning over 'The Empty Hanger' as an outreach project at my church.

ADVOCACY

• Alzheimer's Awareness My dad passed away from the disease January 21st, 2008. He was diagnosed in 2003, and we watched this independant and strong man fight for a long time until we had to place him in a nursing home in 2006. It wiped us out financially and emotionally. I've currently been put into a position to help my mom who lost his pension (because she was not married to him when he retired). I use his likeness in many ways to help educate others about Alzheimer's. I am beginning an initiative for leglislation so that no other families should be forced into poverty for making the decision to place a totall dependant loved one into long-term care. You can view a video I made by visiting the following link: Alzheimer's Video
• NEW! I also have changed my dad's tribute page to one of an Alzheimer's Awareness subject matter. It is called: Alzheimer's: Know More. I have also created tshirts and other merchandice to raise funds to donate to my local Alzheimer's association.
  
• Go to the tribute page.
  

If your family is affected by this disease and need some advice or just to talk, please email me at projectemptyhanger@mail2me.com, and put 'Alzheimers' in the subject line.

Elaine, for all your help and support to 'The Empty Hanger'

Staff and Admin of Aidpage for your support

Everyone here who reads and takes interest in my little endeavor!

I'm having a rummage sale! (Updated May 12th)

Locally, my mobile home community is having a rummage sale at the beginning of June. I am hoping to raise enough money on my own so that I can use some of the proceeds to send out a few more packages. My family has been busily cleaning out the house and garage, and wow the treasures that we accumulate in a year.

If you live in the Northwest Indiana area, and are interested in learning more about my community's rummage sale, please don't hesistate to ask. I will be offering discounts to my local friends at Wish Upon A Hero, and I am offering the same here on Aidpages. For details, please ask.

I have clothes available for anyone who needs them while supplies last.

These clothes are used but in good shape.  I have womens clothing of various sizes and Boys and Girls Clothing of Various Sizes.

If you need clothes, please contact me via email at stephanieskonnec@bellsouth.net or askfoundation@bellsouth.net

I am a 21 year old mother with a 6 month old boy, I am currently working a full time job making $250.00, paying $100.00 a week for his daycare, (I make $150.00 a week after that) I am exhausted. I am seeking a place to live but I have bad credit and no money to even put done for the deposit!! I am desperate for help! I was recieving medicaid. foodstamps and cash assistance and that helped tremendously but now that I am working I do not recieve any of it anymore. PLEASE HELP! and if you can't help then please at least tell me what I can do to get some kind of help I don't care what kind anything!!

Thank you

Stephanie Seay

I AM MOTHER WHO IS TRYING TO LIVE RIGHT BY ME AND MY THREE KIDS I'M FROM NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA I WAS IN HURRICANE KATRINA AND NOW ME AND MY KIDS ARE IN A HARD PLACE WITH NO FAMILY ARE FRIENDS I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR WORK OVER THE LAST PAST YEAR AND HAVEN'T FOUND ONE DO TO THE COURTS BEING CLOSE DOWN IN NEW ORLEANS I HEAR THE SAME THING IF THE COURTS WAS OPEN THEN THEY WILL HIRE ME RIGHT NOW ME AND MY KIDS ARE ABOUT TO BE PLACE ON THE STREETS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE NO HELP I NEED HELP WITH PAYING MY BILLS I NEED HELP IN GETTING A JOB ME AND MY KIDS HAVE TO GIVE UP ALOT OF THING AND NOW WERE WILL THEY SLEEP IF WE DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO CALL HOME I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO GIVE MY KIDS UP BECAUSE THEY ARE MY LIFE I NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET I NEVER WAS PUT IN A PLACE LIKE THIS AND I LOVE TO WORK HER IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT I DON'T WANT TO LOSE MY HOUSE AND I DON'T WANT MY KIDS TO BE IN THE DARK IF ANYONE COULD HELP ME WE WILL BE THINKFUL FOR IT

HELLO MY NAME IS BIANCA I AM A MOTHER IF SIX KIDS AND I ALSO TAKE CAREOF MY TO BROTHERS AND MY MOTHER AS WELL BACK IN AUGUST 2006 MY MOTHER HAD A STROCK AND WE ALMOST LOST HER THANKS TO THE ALL MIGHTY GOD HE BLESS ME MOTHER WELL BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF OXAGEN TO THE BRAIN MY MOTHER HAS SOME DISABILITY SO ANY HOW I AM NOW TAKEING CARE OF HER I DO EVERY THING FOR HER BECAUSE SHE IS UNABEL TO DO FOR HER SELF SO ANY HOW WE LIVE IN A VERY SMALL APARTMENT AND I AM TRYING TO BUY A HOUSE BUT I AM HAVEING SO MANY PROBLEMS BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER BOUGHT  ANY THING LIKE A HOUSE OR A CAR .AND ITS NOT LIKE WE HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY ANY HOW SO I AM CRYING OUT FOR HELP SOME PLEASE FIND IT IN YOUR HEARTS IF YOU CAN THINK OF ANY THING THAT CAN HELP US THAT WOULD BESO GREAT I AM ALSO LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO COME HELP OUT HERE IN MY HOME WITH MY CHILDERN AND WITH MY MOTHER  LIKE I SAID I AM A SINGEL MOTHER WITH SIX KIDS ,2 BROTHERS,AND A VERY SICK MOTHER SOME ONE PLEASE HELP!!!!!:(

I Need Help Starting

My Business

I am unemployed and about to lose my home. I'm trying to start a business on line. People email their pictures to me, I draw them and email them back to them at no cost. My on line business will hopefully keep my art free for them. The content of the pictures sent to me is kept private.

The problem I have right now is that I'm broke and need funds to build my business. If anyone can help please go to www.davisart2007.com and click the donation button.

I can't get a business loan because I'm unemployed. Any help would be greatly apreciated.

If you have a picture that you would like drawn send it to davisart2007@yahoo.com

My on line store is www.cafepress.com/christo

I recently lost my job due to a previous back injury that I am still recovering from and need assistance in providing for my family.  I am working with DES and AHCCCS to get back on track, but they are of little help.  I need more help.  My utility bills are coming in.  I need food and clothing for my kids.  Please help me.

I am a single mother of 5 beautiful active children. I have three boys and two girls ranging from 5 months to 10 years. I have some college credits and would love to eventually get a degree in business. I would like to network with other people with similar age children for play, mom's night outs, babysitting tradeoffs, resources, clothing, and other things that are not otherwise accessible to people who are low income like myself. I am also looking for a sewing machine to make and repair my children's clothes and I want to make purses and sell them; and am currently sewing by hand (very slow).

I am currently on an extended unpaid leave from work due to my ADHD son and the inability to find adequate childcare for him and my 5 month old. This has led me to a very bad financial place. We are behind on everything (my water will be shut off tomorrow) and running out of basic necessities. I have been trying to look into work at home opportunities but they all seem like scams. I do receive some help for food and rent from two agencies, but they have yet to "work the change" as they put it; of me not working since 9/28/07. My rent is still almost $600 and I have no way to pay for utilities, household items, shoes, school uniforms, and don't get me started on Christmas or Birthdays. I was severely depressed several years ago and it made things so much worse back then and would really like to network as I stated above with others. I have found that being in poverty increases depression and the willpower to find a way out of the bad situation. I have also noticed that utility cost has skyrocketed and funding is slim to none in most areas. Anyone else?

Lastly I would like to say that I will be going through my girls' clothing for winter to see what fits. I ALWAYS give the clothes to others that need them. There are some really nice things and some things are only for play. Resale shops don't pay enough to waste the gas and I hope to have the favor returned. I have already given away all the boys' clothes I can sorry. My friends have boys. God bless and good luck to you.

Hi. My name is Felicia' Clarke and I was wondering if there is any possible way you can help me and my family out. See I'm 15 years old and I'm taking upon my own to search for places to help my family out in any possible way for the upcoming school year. I have to smaller little sisters third grader and kindergartner. My mom is a single parent working minimum wage and she was in between jobs so she is struggling with money now. She has a choice to either pay rent for the month of August or pay for my two little sisters and my school needs. And believe me I tried my best to find places to hire me so I can help my mom but since I just turned 15 It's difficult. But I've been going around my neighborhood trying to find work, but no success at that. So I was wondering if you could help my family in any way possible. As in help with any resources to cities that are donating school supply, or is there any people or private businesses willing to basically adopt my family and help out any possible way. So please if you can help that be wonderful if not thank you any ways. But please get back to me. And again my name is Felicia and I can be reached at (253) 833-1996 or emailing address prettyrickygurl22@yahoo.com Thank You again..

I am a single mother of 3 young children. I need money for basic everyday living necessities. I work fulltime and can't pay my bills and be able to further my education to be able to support my family.

  Right now I really need help with making ends meet. I'm struggling financially to get back on my feet after being out of work for awhile due to medical reasons. I also gained quite a bit of weight and I cannot afford to buy clothes that fit me now. I am not above the thrift stores, but when you are the size I am now, it's hard to find anything. I am needing to get some basic items of clothing that I can mix and match. I am wearing a size 28 or 3X in most cases, sometimes more like a 30 or 4X is appropriate. I finally went to a store called ROSS and thought my prayers were answered, but all the items I tried on there in my size, just didn't fit. In my local area, I have found a store called Catherines, which is very nice and high quality, but quite expensive for my current situation. I find that the catalog shopping through Lane Bryant, Sears, Just My Size and a few others, are more affordable, but it requires a waiting period too.

I am able now to get back to work, in a call center type situation, but I do not have the clothing required for their business casual dress code. This is so hard for me because I gained alot of weight over a very short period of time and suffered a great deal of mental cognition, memory, and speech problems...not to mention being extremely tired, before being properly diagnosed. I am still not completely well, but feel so much better than I have in ages! I just feel so "stuck" because I am ready to get my life back and bring some form of normalcy back to my children's lives, but I am having such a hard time making things happen. Nothing is falling into place because I am sooo broke and I don't receive the children's child support money like we should all the time, so it is really hard. I've had to go to a clothes closet through the church to get my children their clothes, but it's so hard to find anything in my size, anywhere! It's becoming humiliating and embarrassing for me. It's so discouraging I just cry sometimes.

If there is anything you can do to help, either through funds or maybe you have some clothing to spare in the size I need? I would be so thankful and when I get back to work and on my feet again, which I hope will be soon, I can pay it forward to someone else. Please help me if you can.

Thanks again,

Debbie

I need a government grant to buy my own house to get my grandsons out of  foster care because their mother (my daughter) and their father are incarcerated right now.I receive supplemental security income, so i cant afford to buy my own home. 

Well, I start my new job Tuesday. It's not the $15.00 an hour I was making at my job I held for so long, but it is a job!! And I am thankful.

I basically got the hours I was looking for.

Going to Thrift Stores and Goodwill on Monday to see if I can hopefully get some clothes (they require uniform type clothes).

Here's hoping and praying this all goes well. Hoping with my severe back problems, I can over come them and be on my feet 6-7 hours, but I know I have to take the job, first one I have been offered in awhile.

   Hello My name is Sheila and I am in desparate need of some one to help me financially.  I have 3 kids of my own and one is my daughter who has been missing since December.  My daughter is bi-polar.  However she has 3 kids that I have to raise because she is strung out on drugs.  She has been running away since she was a teenager.  She has 2 boys and one girl.  The kids range from age 2, 7 and 8.  The 2 yr old was born with one kidney.  I have raised these kids and will continue keeping them.  I am in need of financial assistance to help feed and clothe these children.  Please write me back with any donations to help me.  My email address is hottestdiva21@yahoo.com. 

Hi,

I originally came to Aidpage looking for help for me and my two girls. Shortly after that my financial status changed slightly, but as I've said on my other page, things are still tight, but the noose has loosened slightly. Even if all I have is $5 in my wallet, at least I feel like a somebody. The 'empty wallet syndrome' as I like to call it hurled me into such a bad depression at times I wanted to end my own life at times.

What clawed me out of that? I am not sure myself, but it did make me more humble of a person and less of a judgemental person.

I cannot offer any money, loans, scholarships, etc, but I can if anything, offer my page as a place to vent your frustrations. You don't have to be on public aid to already be frustrated about being stereotyped about being this or that way. You know that you can only do what is best for you and your family, and it is those who judge you who will be the first ones with their hand out when they need help. I also feel that those who criticize social welfare are the same ones who are supporting corporate welfare.

I have a place on Squidoo.com   End The Stereotyping of Public Aid Recipients that talks about my own personal situation being on food stamps and my observations as how society has treated me...good and bad. I tell it like it is, and I don't sugar-coat my situation. I want my readers to get a real sense of our hardships. You don't have to be a member of Squidoo to post a message there on my Guestbook.

I hope that anyone who feels alone, scared, and ridiculed because of their situation will find some comfort there knowing that they are not alone.

On my homepage, I placed an offer to give someone girls clothing, and I have a person here on aidpage who is interested. Stay tuned for updates!

God Bless,
Marsha

anyone interested in receiving a small package of Christmas goodies for your family please email me at wheatley6177@yahoo.com  Please let me know in your email, the ages and gender of the kids and some things they might like for Christmas...Every year my family tries to get some gifts for people down on their luck and last year we adopted several families from aidpage...I assure you I am an honest person who just likes to see smiles on little ones faces.  We have four small children of our own so we cant buy great big gifts but every little bit helps...some of the items I usually include in these gift boxes are:

puzzles, board games, baby dolls, matchbox cars, books, coloring books/crayons, art supplies, giant peppermint sticks, movies(if you have a vcr or dvd player), socks, slippers, hats/gloves, things for babies such as bottles, rattles, teether toys, etc...and I like to include some Christmas candy and treats....

we can usually only help about 10 families so it will be on a first come, first serve basis so please email me quickly if you are interested...I can give you my names/address/phone number etc once you email me that way you can be sure that I am a real and caring person and i just want to help...

Merry Christmas to everyone and I look forward to hearing from you...

we are a low income family raising our grandchildren and need financial help

 food, toilet paper, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, clothing

ITS  TIME WE STOP TELLING OUR GOD HOW BIG OUR MOUNTAINS ARE AND START TELLING OUR MOUNTAINS HOW BIG OUR GOD IS!

I am a mother of four little girls.  I have helped several people here on aidpage over the past two years, especially during the holidays.  I would like to encourage some of you who are reading this to choose one person in need and lend a hand.  We dont make a lot of money and everything we make goes to our kids as well as to a few people we are lucky enough to help out.  It doesnt have to be much, send a care package with some basic needs such as toothpaste and first aid items, or send someones child a birthday present, it might be the only one they get this year, imagine the impact you would make on that child.  Above all, do not look down on these people because of the situation they have found themselves in, i am sure most people here did not choose to have their spouses walk out, their homes flooded, their health taken away from them.  Be grateful for what you have and give a little back, its what makes us human. 

I am once again taking emails from people who are in need of some basic necessities. (baby items, clothing, food, toiletries, maybe a birthday gift ot two, etc) Please email me at wheatley6177@yahoo.com if you are in need of any of these items or something else that I might be able to come up with.  I love to shop for bargains and I love passing on my great deals to people who need it most.  I am snot selling these items, they are free from me to you, God has blessed us and we would like to bless others.  I cannot send monetary gifts though.  I will reply to every email I receive, even if I cannot get what you are looking for, I can always be a friend...

To whom it may concern,

I am a 28yr old single mother with a 9 yr old son and as of 7/26/07 I have been unemployed. I applied for unemployment and was denied. I have no one who can financially assistance me with paying my bills,such as rent,car note, utility bills,etc..I do not recieve any government assistance I've been job searching. I am asking for assistance for at least 3 months to avoid loosing my house,car etc..I have to have somewhere for my son and self to live...I have never been in a situation like this before and I don't know what to do...Please HELP ME! I greatly appreciate it..

Sincerely,

La Shuandra Brown

Hi I am need help with food and clothing for 3 children. I  have hit really hard times and I just need a little boost to get my back on my feet again.

Clothing is for boy's 6-8

Girl 5-7

Girls 18 months- 24 months

They all need pants and shirts and sweaters and shorts.

For food I will accept anything or maybe send a food gift card from Walmart or Meijers or Framer Jacks will be appreicated so much,Thank you to who ever wants to help my family out. Thank you Jacquelyn

 Hi,

I'm a single mom, who is presently on disability.  I have a child who is 13 years of age and I'm going through a really bad time right now.  I am out of  food and he has no clothes to start school.  If there is anything that anyone can do, I'll greatly appreciate it.  If you are able to help me,  please e-mail me at

Hiyabonigoni_49@yahoo.com...

                                            Thank You Very Much and God Bless!

Thought I would up date. This page was of some help I got some great info on resources out there to help us. I am still working to pay off our debits and bills. We have been able to since find a place to live. Our rent is $1200.00 but we are squezzing by.

I hope to be able to help a family in need through this page. That we can possible help out.

My fiance recently went to ER and the bill is $1100.00. so we are trying to come up with that money.

I have loads of clothes that I can donate to any one here that could use them.

Thanks for reading.