A young single mother of three is receiving tons of monetary and moral support after she was arrested for leaving her children in a motel room while she went to work at a local Little Caesars.
Shaina Bell, 24, of Liberty Township, Ohio, was charged with two counts of child endangerment after someone called the police and reported there were two children, ages 10 and 2, at a Motel Six by themselves on Thursday, Feb. 11.
Police said upon arrival the older daughter told them Bell was at work and would be home around 10 p.m. When confronted by the officers, Bell said she had someone check on her kids every hour while she was at work, according to WFMJ21.
The children were turned over to their father and Bell was booked into the county jail. Bell pled not guilty to the charges and was released the following day on Friday, Feb. 12.
A GoFundMe campaign organized to “Help Shaina Bell Rebuild her Children’s Life” was organized by a woman named Danielle Hosey, who said she is Bell’s mother. The campaign states, Bell “works hard and she loves her family very much” but could use help “establishing a safe and permanent home.” At the time of this writing it had raised over $95,000 dollars.
“I too was a single mother once. I see your hustle and am so sorry this happened. Keep fighting to give your children a better life. I also was once a social worker, such misguided handling of this situation where resources for childcare vouchers could have changed this mother’s life,” one donor who said they were “heartbroken” by Bell’s story wrote.
“I remember being a young single mother, we do what we have to do and I applaud you for working and trying to hold it down. God Bless You, God Keep You — and the babies. My pastor always says, “God will catch you up in a hurry.” What the enemy meant for bad is turning around for your good. Glory!” added another donor.
In addition to those on GoFundMe, Bell was also offered some help from a hip-hop executive and NBA player. Quality Control Music Label co-founder Pierre “Pee” Thomas donated $10,000 to Bell’s campaign, and NBA player JaVale McGee also donated $5,000.
“Someone get me this young lady info,” Thomas commented under the story of an Instagram account that shared the story. “My mom used to have to do the same thing when we were young, not cause of abandonment issues, it’s because people can’t afford child care working at a pizza shop. She wasn’t hanging out at a club. She was at work.”
Bell has a court hearing scheduled for April, but many supporters are hoping she won’t face any consequences for trying to provide for her family. They are also widely sharing her GoFundMe and asking people to support.
“Damn this is sad. Why punish her for doing the right thing? She wants to work, it would’ve been stronger to provide her a support system,” tweeted user @tamaralig. “I wish I were close by! Now she’ll have never ending legal issues for being a provider to her kids.”
“I started babysitting my siblings when I was 8, and in the neighborhood when I turned 10. This story infuriates me. She is doing what she can to keep her family intact and safe,” wrote Twitter user @MFinch64.
In the GoFundMe campaign’s description, Hosey thanked everyone for their support.
“We understand that everyone has a story and we are grateful that you are listening to ours. From the bottom of our hearts we not only appreciate the financial contributions, but also the outpouring of support in the form of kind words and understanding,” the campaign stated.
