Guest at Expanding the Table in need of rent assistance – July 19, 2018

A Summerville woman who is regular guest at Expanding the Table and was talking with one of the volunteers one evening.  She shared that her husband had been sent to jail for failing to pay some outstanding fines.  He was going to be in jail for 90 days and she would lose the income that he contributed for that time.  She indicated that his employer promised him his job upon release but in the mean time she was in danger of being evicted out of the trailer she rented.  Change for a Dollar offered to assist with the rent and some other volunteers help with food and cleaning products she had requested as well.  Change for a Dollar met with the landlord and contributed toward the monthly rent payment.

Rent assistance – $200.00

Repairs to woman’s bed so she wasn’t sleeping on floor – July 10, 2018

A young woman needed to replace her furniture in her apartment and was able to get a new queen sized mattress but it did not come with a frame or box spring.  She was sleeping on the mattress on the floor but had difficulty getting in and out of the bed due to her disabilities.  Change for a Dollar received a donated bed frame from an Ashley Ridge Church owner and was able to pick up a couple of pieces of plywood cut to size to support the mattress on the bed frame.  The repair resulted in raising the mattress enough off the floor to make it easier for the woman to get in and out of the bed.

Two sheets of plywood – $49.90

Battered woman assisted in returning home - July 3, 2018

A young woman and her son had located to Summerville with a boyfriend from Virginia.  The boyfriend had a local plumbing business he brought to SC and they were all hoping for a new start.  After a few weeks in Summerville the couple began to have some domestic disputes.  The situation started to get very tense and eventually escalated to physical violence.  The woman had enough money to put her son on a train back to Virginia to his grandparents as she wanted him away from the problems.   At one point the boyfriend pulled a knife on the woman and stabbed her, thankfully the wound was minor but the police were called and he was arrested.  The woman realized she had made a mistake and was now looking for a way to get back to Virginia but had no money and no transportation.  The Victims Advocate was helping her and referred her to the local homeless shelter for some basic assistance and an Ashley Ridge Church owner became aware of the situation and requested assistance for the woman. Change for a Dollar assisted with some gas gift cards for the woman as she found someone to catch a ride up north but needed to share in the expenses.  The victim’s advocate put her up for a few days in a hotel so she didn’t have to return to the apartment as the boyfriend had bonded out.  A few days later she was headed home.

Gas gift cards – $100.00