S.O.S....

Once in a while, just when you are feeling good and sorry for yourself regarding any number of things life has slapped you upside the head with, God will slap you upside the other side of your head with something that I like to call, a "royal reality check"...

This week, I received a big one in the form of a young girls plight...

One of my good friends had called me and was sharing the story of her latest house guest whom she and her husband have opened their home to for the next five weeks, until she goes off to college...

She has earned a scholarship to the UCF (University of Central Florida)...
That is a feat that many have failed to accomplish under the best of circumstances!

While staying with our friends, she has secured a job at a local convenience store, where she will work until leaving for school at the end of August, to help her to cover some of her impending expenses... Her journey has been unbelievable!

She has displayed courage and a can-do attitude like I've never before witnessed... especially in such a young person, whom has faced many scary, very adult, problems...

The St. Pete Times featured her story back in May...
Please take a moment to read all about her by clicking HERE.

Things have gotten worse, believe it or not, since this article was published, as she was recently evicted from her housing, which is what led her to my friends door, through their church family...

The church has gathered donations which have been used to purchase some supplies which will help her set up housekeeping in her dorm...

But my friend, being the mother-hen that she is, has some serious concerns about Valerie heading off to school without enough money to take care of buying the basics that she will need... like textbooks, a laptop computer, and a meal plan to ensure that she will have 3 squares a day...

If anyone deserves a break, it's this girl...

I am hoping that one of you has some connections...

• Like maybe you are Bill Gates 3rd cousin twice removed and you can beg him for a donated new laptop for her...
  (or maybe you aren't related to Bill, but have a better idea on how to obtain a laptop for her)
  

• Or perhaps, your next door neighbor works for a textbook printer and he can get her textbooks donated...

I figured that by spreading the word, someone out there may know someone who knows someone...
Like the old shampoo commercial...


If you tell two friends
about Fabarge Organics Shampoo
with wheat germ oil and honey,
they'll tell two friends,
and so on... and so on... and so on...

SO...

If I tell my friends about Valerie Perez,
and her need for a helping hand,
maybe they'll tell two friends
and so on...and so on...and so on...

Here's the bottom line...
This young woman was handed a load of sour lemons
and somehow,
she found the strength to make lemonade...

I'd love to help her to get off to a good start as she begins a new chapter in her life...
If any of you can help us to figure all of this out, it would be fantastic!

You can reach me at: thoughtsfromthedeepend@gmail.com