More than $50,000 have been raised so far for a 35-year-old homeless mother who was arrested on charges of child abuse after she was forced to leave her two sons in the car while she went on a job interview.
The online community has come together for a commendable cause, as strangers are digging deep into their pockets to help a mother who is witnessing the ugliest side of a faltering economy.
Shanesha Taylor, a single mother in Arizona, couldn’t afford to hire a baby sitter for her 2-year-old and 6-year-old boys but she needed to seek employment as soon as possible.
Taylor left the boys in her truck as she went on what she hoped would be a quick and successful job interview.
Once she returned to her car after the interview, however, police were waiting for her.
Someone passing by had noticed the children inside the car and heard one of the boys crying.
The truck was in direct sunlight at the time, making the inside of the vehicle extremely warm. All four windows were cracked but it wasn’t enough to compensate for the direct sunlight hitting the SUV.
Taylor tried to explain her heartbreaking situation to the police: She was a homeless mother trying to find a job so she could better care for her little boys and was unable to find a babysitter.
Police were still forced to take the children into custody and arrest Taylor on charges of child abuse. Her sons are now in the custody of Child Protective Services.
Thanks to a fundraiser set up through YouCaring.com, Taylor’s bail has been covered and additional money is pouring in.
Many of Taylor’s online supporters find her bail, which has been set at $9,000, to be excessive.
Others shared previous experiences they had with Child Protective Services and claimed that being in their care is the last thing either of the little boys need at a time like this.
As of Sunday morning, $53,655 were donated through the website.
The original goal was a mere $9,000 to cover Taylor’s bail.
Source: Politix
All extra money will go to other legal expenses and helping Taylor recover from a financially and emotionally devastating situation.
Despite raising enough money for bail, the organizer of the fundraiser announced that “they have now decided to hold her until the 31st” and she is “working to find out why.”
Taylor’s situation has sparked a much needed discussion regarding the effects the poor economy has not only on those seeking employment, but their children as well.
As the donation website reads, “There are some of us that feel that Shanesha was in an unfortunate situation that sadly an economy like ours i putting many single mother’s in a position to make terrible mistakes like this.”
While nobody is arguing that it wasn’t dangerous for the young boys to be left in the vehicle, many donors are arguing that there are better solutions to this type of situation that would allow two boys to keep their mother and a woman who is facing incredibly hard times from being locked up when she was seeking honest employment.
