Desperate Americans living in their cars call for more stimulus, use GoFundMe to raise money for a place to live
Desperate Americans have been forced to live in their cars and have even resorted to setting up GoFundMe pages to ask for money as demands for new stimulus checks escalate.
Thousands of hard-hit people have turned to desperate measures as funds dry up – with increasing pressure on President Joe Biden to give more money to those who need it most.
Read our live blog on Stimulus Controls for the latest updates on relief from Covid-19 …
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Aaron Davison is among those on whom the coronavirus pandemic has taken its toll.
The 28-year-old has been out of work since the Florida theme park he worked in laid off thousands of workers last spring as Covid swept across the United States.
Her parents are disabled and unable to work, leaving them little choice to spend part of 2020 living in a car.
Mr Davison launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds as he weathered the worst of the pandemic with no money coming in.
“I have always told my family and friends if there is a platform to share GoFundMe,” Davison said. CBS Money Watch.
“Even though it’s not a donation, sharing can be very helpful. I think visibility is important now.
He raised over $ 6,000 of his goal of $ 10,000 about 18 months after the page was created – still not enough to help his family move to a permanent home.
But many of those who have turned to online fundraising have had little success, a new analysis of Covid-related congestion due for publication in Social Science & Medicine in August shows, reports News from Texas now.
Of more than 175,000 GoFundMe pages created at the start of last year citing Covid, 43% have not received any donations while 90% have not reached their goal.
NEW LIGHTENING PAYMENT PLAN
But there is hope on the horizon as a new relief payment plan is expected to provide some Americans with $ 1,000 stimulus checks over the next two years.
The second-largest Native American tribe has approved a special stimulus for its citizens, as lawmakers debate the likelihood of a fourth stimulus check for all Americans.
The Cherokee Nation has announced that its citizens will receive two $ 1,000 stimulus checks over a two-year period.
This funding comes mainly from Biden’s US bailout, which gave states the freedom to spend their money however they want.
California followed this decision to provide additional economic support to its citizens.
Meanwhile, Florida is preparing to issue teachers and first responders with $ 1,000 stimulus checks to thank them for their service during the pandemic.
The payments, due to be sent out later this summer, are part of a $ 101.5 billion state budget signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in early July.
The program is expected to benefit approximately 174,000 first responders and 180,000 educators statewide.
Upon passing the law, DeSantis said: “We know the pandemic has put a tremendous amount of pressure on our first responders, paramedics, sworn law enforcement, firefighters and so we think we should recognize their sacrifice over the past year. “
Single payment was first offered by DeSantis in March.
The state budget has set aside more than $ 400 million to pay the premiums.
About $ 208.4 million of this amount will be distributed to police, firefighters and emergency personnel as a “small token of appreciation.”
The bonuses for the teachers will come from funds from the third round of the Elementary and High School Emergency Relief Fund, which was part of Biden’s bailout for America.
