A mom and daughter in Osceola County, Florida, are feeling grateful after they received some unexpected help recently.
When schools shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, substitute school teacher Jamie Austera was unsure how she would provide for herself and her 17-year-old daughter, Hope, according to News 6.
Austera did not have a Florida teaching certificate, so her only option was to apply for unemployment benefits, which she said turned out to be a dead end.
“I can’t get through unemployment (website) I just keep trying and trying. I even applied for food stamps, Medicaid, temporary cash, everything,” she explained.
Since March, News 6 has featured single parents who lost their jobs due to the health crisis which inspired residents to step up.
“Saw your piece on the substitute teacher, and making ends meet. Tell us how we can help!” one viewer wrote to reporter Mike Holfeld.
“I felt so bad for my fellow co-worker, I would like to donate $100 to her,” said a teacher in the Osceola school district.
Thanks to their response, the news station joined with Addition Financial and created a fund called Make Ends Meet designated especially for families in need.
“We’re partnering with WKMG-TV because, when it comes to helping you make ends meet, you can count on us!” the financial company said.
Wednesday, an anonymous donor contacted the station and gave Austera and her daughter $2,500 to help them through the pandemic.
“Oh my God. That’s enough to pay my rent for almost 3 months,” Austera commented.
“It’s just incredible,” Hope added, holding back tears. “I’m sorry I’m trying to keep it together. This will help us for weeks, months.”
Following the outpouring of support from the community, Austera said she was touched and promised to do the same for someone else in the future.
“We really appreciate it. We will not forget it and we will definitely pay it forward when we can,” she concluded.