LIMA — Marie and her family have been through a lot, and despite the fact that they’re still struggling financially, now is a time of celebration of sorts for the three.
Marie, 25, and her two daughters Annie, 5, and Rachel, 4, have lived in an apartment in Lima for the last three years. When they moved in, it signified freedom for Marie from her abusive significant other, and her daughters’ father.
“My biggest struggle was getting on my own and being on my own,” she said. “But I’ve had a better life … I’m proud of that.”
Marie is a student at a local university and will soon graduate with a degree in medical office management.
Since she’s a student, she has to “get help with everything, pretty much,” she said, and is currently supporting her family with student loan money.
After school, she hopes to get a job in a doctor’s office, but until then, money is tight as she has no income and child support checks are few and far between.
Marie is able to get her kids food and some clothes, but she can’t afford bigger necessities, such as fixing her 15-year-old car that she depends on to get her and her kids to school and daycare.
She needs help to fix it, as she doesn’t know the cost although there are problems with the transmission, struts, brake pads and more. The girls also need twin beds, as the ones they use now are from when Marie and her sister grew up and are falling apart.
“I want to get stuff they’ll use for a long time,” Marie said.
Both girls could also use some jeans and long sleeve shirts, they both wear 6T in shirts and 5T in pants.
Marie needs some clothes as well and wears 11/13 in pants and underwear, a large in shirts and an 8 in socks and shoes.
The family bakes together when they’re all out of school and they have old hand-me-down pots and pans, so Marie would love some new ones.
Annie and Rachel have toys, but Marie wants them to “have a good Christmas,” and said they might want dollhouse furniture and a baby crib from “Santa.”
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