This is Tiana's story.
Location: West Allis, WI
"I would like to nominate my student, Tiana, who is deserving of so much more than I can offer her.
I have known Tiana since she was a freshman at the high school I teach in.
She is now a senior, and she has experienced more hard times in the past 4 years than most ordinary people deal with in a lifetime.
In short, I teach in and she is from a very urban area.
In short, I teach in and she is from a very urban area.
Without great detail, her home life was toxic and abusive.
She has been living on her own for 3 years, since she was a sophomore, and she has had to juggle working full time to pay rent, pay for transportation and food, clothing, school supplies, drivers education, ACT, cell phone, and other necessities for a teenage girl.
She recently had to save to buy a winter coat for our Wisconsin winter.
She struggled hard in school her sophomore and junior years, and this year, she has worked extremely hard to achieve her goal of going to college.
It breaks my heart, and her other teachers, to see the responsibilities she faces alone, and we are so very proud of how dedicated she is to being successful despite her struggles.
Some things that would make the financial burden a little lighter for her, and give her the opportunity to enjoy things a teenage girl should be able to would be, gift cards for Uber/lyft to get from school/work/home, gift cards for grocery/fast food restaurants, Walmart/Target/Amazon gift cards for necessities, store gift cards for clothing, or letters of support.
I want Tiana to experience the love and support of others to bring her hope for her future.
It breaks my heart, and her other teachers, to see the responsibilities she faces alone, and we are so very proud of how dedicated she is to being successful despite her struggles.
Some things that would make the financial burden a little lighter for her, and give her the opportunity to enjoy things a teenage girl should be able to would be, gift cards for Uber/lyft to get from school/work/home, gift cards for grocery/fast food restaurants, Walmart/Target/Amazon gift cards for necessities, store gift cards for clothing, or letters of support.
I want Tiana to experience the love and support of others to bring her hope for her future.
She deserves the world!
We were able to have her Personal Finance teacher create an extra credit "project" for her to do which included making a Wish List and planning a budget around it.
I am trying to keep this a complete surprise for her so her teachers and I can set up a special Christmas celebration for her and deliver all the love before going on Christmas break.
Most of our students, especially Tiana, struggle so much with long breaks from school because they are alone, have no love and support outside of school, and struggle to find their next meal, a safe place to sleep or just hang out, etc.
I want her to go into this break feeling loved!"
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WAYS TO HELP:
You can purchase directly from Tiana's Wish List and have it sent directly to the school in care of her teacher.
OTHER WAYS TO HELP:
You can send monetary to Tiana directly through PayPal HERE.
This will go toward food, bills, Uber/Lyfts to get to and from school.
If you would like to send a letter of encouragement, etc., please email me at JBHolidayPIF@gmail.com with the subject line TIANA1213
Thank you for paying it forward.
