Homeless teacher finds ‘permanent place to call home’ thanks to online donations

In December, The Huffington Post shared the story of a 44-year-old middle-school teacher and mother of three who struggled to keep a roof over her family’s heads.

Raquel Tillett juggled three jobs just to pay the bills, but that often wasn’t enough. Her abusive ex-husband had left her with debt, ruined her credit, and refused to pay child support.

“He took all of the resources we had and left. At the time I was a stay at home mom who was in college working on pre-nursing school,” Tillett wrote of her ex on the fundraising site HandUp.

Tillett’s father tried to contribute, but his own failing health prevented him from doing so.

While she earned too much money to be eligible for food stamps, her damaged credit report interfered with her ability to rent in San Francisco. Tillett used to live in Los Angeles before heading north up the California coast in an attempt to restart her teaching career. She and her children, ages 11, 13 and 17, were forced to live in hotel rooms.

"I just keep struggling to make ends meet, to find a place, and to just have enough food and money to get by," she told the Huffington Post.

"I just need a chance to get a place that I can call home. My kids get tired sometimes, but they understand that I’m doing the best that I can. We didn’t even have a Thanksgiving dinner, and for Christmas, we’ll go without pretty much everything. The only thing that I know we have is the love of God in our hearts and love for each other — and that has spoken volumes. My motivation is my children, because if I didn’t have them, I know not where I would be."

Since Tillett’s story was published, donations poured in to help the mom in need. With those donations — and assistance from the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing — Tillett and her children were able to move into a two-bedroom apartment in January.

While the apartment isn’t yet fully furnished — Tillett can’t afford to buy furniture and household items — she wrote that she’s thrilled to have “secured a permanent place to call ‘home.’”

"My children and I are no longer in the cold, or in some place that is fit for animals," Tillett updated the Huffington Post in an email.

Tillett is now fundraising so she can go back to school and get her master’s degree.

“Thanks to all of my generous benefactors. I would not be able to continue striving for success without your generosity,” Tillett wrote on HandUP.