These years of global economic crisis have not been easy for many people, especially those living in
rented accommodation, who are more likely to be evicted if they do not pay their dues. This concern
also gripped Yvonne, a single mother from Baltimore, USA. The young woman has a job, but has found
herself facing a series of personal and financial difficulties which have led her to no longer be able to pay
her rent. She therefore found herself homeless overnight, with her children.
Yvonne used the rest of her money to pay a deposit for her belongings and took with her what she
needed to spend the night in the car with her children, parking the car in a supermarket parking lot.
During the evening, a passerby noticed the mother with the two children on board and decided to leave
a note under the windshield of the car offering to help.

The next morning, Yvonne read the note, which pointed to an organization that could help raise funds
for shelter in emergencies like hers. The note contained the Instagram contact details of Shelly Tygielski,
the founder of a self-help community. The mother then decided to contact Shelly, hoping for help.
Shelly responded by asking Yvonne what she needed and the mother replied that she needed to find
somewhere safe and warm near her children’s school. At that point, Shelly created an Instagram post,
starting a fundraiser, while in the meantime securing a room at a Holiday Inn for the mom and her kids
for a month, so the little family could spend the safe night.

With the help of this passerby and Shelly, Yvonne quickly got her life back on track. After only a few
days, the fundraiser was so successful that Yvonne was able to pay the deposit for the rent of a new
accommodation, already paying the first month. Thanks to the help of Internet users, the young mother
was able to resume the course of her work and make ends meet again. Shelly, deeply moved by the
generosity of those who donated, also posted a message of thanks from Yvonne: «I am so relieved, so
elated. Yvonne and her family are immensely grateful to you and I also thank all of you because we not
only met our goal, but exceeded it.»