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Please help us keep a roof over our heads

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Hi, my name is Stacey Gantt. I'm 48 years old. I've been happily married to my husband (Calvin Gantt, 46) for 25 years. We have three daughters (24, 23, and one that passed away when she was 12) and three small grandsons (7, 3, and 18 months). We live in upper east Tennessee in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

I have at least six mental health issues (depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, ADHD, agoraphobia) and some physical problems. These issues cause me not to be able to work. I've been trying to get on disability and am currently working on my 2nd appeal. In February last year, my husband started having seizures. So, now he is not able to work either. We have begun the disability process for him as well. He tried to work anyway for a while this year. He ended up having minor surgery and later in the hospital (COPD flair-up due to getting sick and not being able to rest).

With no money coming in, we have no way to pay our bills, get our medicines, or even things such as toilet paper. Our youngest daughter moved in to help. Her income has barely kept the lights ($300 and $400 at times) and water on. Our oldest grandchildren's other grandparents (dad's parents) were facing homelessness this month, so they have moved in too.

In 2014, God provided a way for us to buy a house through a lease-to-own contract (something we never dreamed would be possible). The price was $70,000.00. We only have about $25,000.00 left to have it paid off. We have now fallen behind and owe a little under $4,000.00. The organizations that help with rent are currently only helping if related to COVID. All the other agencies have been telling us because we are lease-to-own they won't help. I choose not to lie. I knew what it might cost us. We have already poured so much money into this house we would hate to lose it so close to having it paid off.

In the contract, we get none of the money back that we've paid (so no getting somewhere else). We can't get government housing as they claim we owe them money (due to a clerical mistake they made). We will be homeless. They just criminalized homelessness in Tennessee. It is a felony.

We don't want to seem or be greedy, but we need enough to make sure we can take care of the rest on our own once we get approved for our disability. So, we decided to tell you the need and let you people and God provide what you will.

It's about $25,000.00 to pay off the house.

Social Security says up to 18 months to make another decision about me. So, about $7,000 for this year. $14,000 for this year and next.

$4,000 for back payments (prayerfully they will let us keep it if we pay that). We were served papers today.

I know it's a lot to ask for, but that will keep us in our home and a roof over our heads. That leaves us only the light and water bills and our other needs. We should be able to manage these with my disability (prayerfully).

My husband and I have been homeless before. We don't want to go through it again, plus now we could end up in jail. I've worked with homeless people. I did the research for papers in college trying to educate people about it. There are not enough shelter beds for everyone. And from what I've heard about those shelters, I wouldn't want to stay there any more than in jail.

Our wedding rings and each other is all that's made it through these 25 years with us. We are too old to start over again and not able to either. With no money or way to get any, how can we anyway? It's our prayer that God will help you be a blessing to us and that He will bestow many blessings on you for blessing us with whatever you can.

Our deepest gratitude,
The Gantt's

Organizer

Stacey Gantt
Organizer
Johnson City, TN

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