My name is Jesus Santos. I am a single father on Long Island raising my six kids. We are a family of seven under one roof, and I am the one who keeps that roof over us, working with my hands running my own small auto detailing business.
We moved here in late 2023 for a fresh start and I signed a lease with someone I trusted. I signed a new lease with him every year. Rent started at $1,000 a month, then $2,000, then $3,000. For almost three years I paid in cash, collected in person at the start of every month, plus a $2,500 security deposit.
This summer I found out the truth: he never owned the house. Not for one day. The real owner is now taking me to court, and my family, through no fault of our own, has to move. We have to be out by December 31, days after Christmas. My kids are honor students. They did everything right. I did everything right. I paid every month, on time, for almost three years. For my kids, home is not just an address, it is their stability, their routine, their whole world. Uprooting them on a deadline, with the holidays right around the corner, is what scares me most.
I am not asking for a handout, and I am not asking to stay somewhere for free. In court I asked for one thing: enough time to move my family safely instead of ending up on the street. I am not asking for all of it. I will work for the rest myself, the way I always have. I am asking for help with $5,000 to get us through the door.
What the $5,000 covers:
Security deposit help: $2,000
First month's rent help: $1,800
Moving truck, boxes, and supplies: $700
Utility deposits and basic setup so the kids land on their feet: $500
If you cannot give, sharing this page helps just as much. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for helping me keep my family together and under one roof.
Jesus
