EVO Community, We Would Like Your Help for a Family in Need.

/in /by

Our friend Jennifer Levinson of “Jen’s List” has met a family that is need of help.  Below is their story and if anyone of you can offer some help that would be fantastic.  Below are some details from Jennifer 

I write this because I have been made aware of a situation at a local high school, about a 17 year old, that breaks my heart and I am reaching out to see if anyone has the resources to help.
I have been in contact with school administers and recieved this info this morning. Please take a minute to read it, count your blessings and if you know someone that can assist, email me at jen@jenslist.com.
He and his mother are living in a car and have been doing so for ten months.
He sleeps about 5-6 hours per night at most. He and his mother generally have been getting by with cold meals that they have purchased with food stamps. He has pericarditis, which he says is an inflammation of the sack around his heart. The condition causes chest pains and limits his ability to participate in any kind of physical activity. We believe this condition also accounts for times when he seems slow to respond or seems without the energy to complete his work or participate in class. He says that there is medication for it, but he is not on it right now. However he has not been to the doctor in quite some time and it is reasonable to assume that he may not be able to afford treatment. Furthermore, it”s also safe to assume that his options are fairly limited when it comes to a healthy diet, given his current situation.

It should be noted that he appears at school each day in the same clothes. He does not seem to have any real winter clothing for the nights. He tells us his day consists of going to school, then going to the library to do some work and get on the computer. He then goes to sleep and starts the day over again.
He and his mother would accept help. His words were “I”ve been living like this for ten months.”
After the meeting, the boy immediately asked, “Is there a way to get into a bed or a place by Christmas?”. The boy is doing well in school, great behavior, hard working and never asks for a thing.
At this point, connections with shelters and/or a place to stay, and perhaps a cardiologist pediatric or otherwise who would be willing to perform some pro bono work would be wonderful.
UPDATE

1st, I have to tell you that when I first posted about the mom and son that were living in their car, I NEVER in my wildest dreams imagined the outpour of support that has been rec’d.
As of now, I have rec’d hundreds of responses and still trying to get back to everyone.
I had the opportunity today to meet the mom. She is an educated 56 year old, with a bachelors degree and retired from law enforcement in Hawaii.  She and her son moved here for a job that unfortunately, did not pan out. She has been working part time, thru a temp. agency, but would love to get something stable.
Both mom and son are clean, NO drugs or alcohol. He is a straight A student that goes directly to the library after school and stays there until closing before going to the car they sleep in.
A Pediatric Cardiologist in Encino has offered to take care of the boy and his medical needs surrounding his Pericarditis.
The high school got the boy a prepaid cell phone, so that he can reach his mom, if needed.
At this time, they could really use gift cards to get themselves some warm clothing and hot meals.
Some suggestions were Wal-Mart, Old Navy, Ralphs or Vons. Someone has offered to help mom with her resume and I will gladly post it once completed to see if anyone can help her with a permanent job.
Mom was very gracious and appreciated the community support.
If you are interested in helping, gift cards can be mailed to(and remember, NO amount is too little):
Calabasas High School
Attn: Ryan Emery 
22855 West Mulholland Hwy.
Calabasas, CA 91302
His email is remery@lvusd.org
Ryan will make sure that all donations reach the family.
Lastly, we are working with the Anza hotel, in hopes that they will deeply discount their nightly rate, to at least give them a place to stay over winter break and have a warm bed to sleep in for the holidays. Details are in the works now to make this happen. If you would like to assist with housing, a visa/mc gift card can be sent. Please include a note to Ryan that the funds are specially to be used for housing and he will make sure that they are.
The past 2 days have been extraordinarily humbling to me and just another learning lesson for my children. While most of us think something like this will never happen to them, trust me when I tell you that this mom and son never thought it would.
Thank you for your generosity and willingness to help others in need.
Love,
Jen
If you can help donate anything please mail to the address above or drop off at EVO and we will take care of it.  Lets try to help by this weekend before Christmas!  Thank you everyone.