Turning Hope Into A Home

Hi there ❤️

Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out my campaign! It truly means the world to me. To be honest, I've never done anything like this before, but I'm optimistic, hopeful, and leaning in to what my heart is guiding me to do.

I'm Jessica, a 33 year old, proud mama to Gracie (9), and Rylan (5), and wife to the most selfless, hard working man I know! We've been dreaming of buying our very first home for what seems like an eternity. Some place warmer, where the sun shines a little longer, and where our family can finally just breathe a little easier.

Right now we live in a super tiny, 900 square foot, 2 bedroom, 1 bath apartment in Buffalo NY. We've been here for almost 10 years - so it's truly been our home for so long. We pay $1,150 a month here, while I bring in about $950 a month from SSI due to being legally blind with tumors in my eyes and brain. And with my peripheral vision at a total loss. I am unable to work. That means my husband, who already works two jobs, has to stretch to cover what's left of rent each month, plus everything else life throws at us (gas, car payments, groceries, bills, clothes for the kids, etc). I see him give and give, and yet he never complains. I just wish he didn't have to sacrifice so much. I wish more than anything he didn't miss how quickly the kids were growing up, just so that we could survive. And I wish he could finally take his own deep breath. To let go all of the weight that I know he carries on his shoulders daily. He literally deserves so much more than this constant uphill battle.

At the end of every year, we always count our money in our safe that we have, and it always feels like a slap in the face. It always seems like we're nowhere close to our goal, and making the jump to comfortably move. It's disheartening and so beyond discouraging. It's like climbing up a gigantic mountain that has no peak in sight.

We’ve been saving for years, doing everything we can to build a better future for our babies. And even though we feel like we’re spinning our wheels more often than not, we hold tight to the hope that one day soon, we’ll be unlocking the door to a place we can finally call ours.

I picture our daughter having her own room. Just this sweet, girly, purple haven filled with art supplies, glitter, all of her squishmallows, and everything creative that screams her. I can already hear the music playing as she draws at her art desk, totally in her own little world. And our son, he's all about superheros and the color blue. He'd have the best time turning his room into a mini batcave or superhero hideout. Something that truly reflects his huge, beautiful imagination, silly energy, and makes him smile from ear to ear everytime he steps foot into his OWN room.

We dream of a fenced in backyard where the kids can run and play all day and night. Playing tag, chasing fireflies and butterflies, and making memories we'll cherish forever. We dream of a garage to store their bikes. And an extra room that we can turn into a home office so that my husband doesn't have to keep working in a coat closet (literally).

But with all of that said, we'd be lying if we didn't say that this place holds a giant piece of our hearts. It's where both of our babies took their first steps. Where they graduated from cribs to toddler beds to twin mattresses. Where their little feet ran up and down our hallway more times than I could ever even try to count without a care in the world. Where they made their first friends, and ran through the sprinklers most summers in the small patch of grass we have in the front of our apartment, and learned to ride their bikes on the sidewalk right next to it. Did we mention the chalk drawing contests we had? There was a ton ❤️

Where they went off to elementary school and came home so excited to share stories about their day, their friends, and their amazing teachers. It's full of laughter and love and tiny moments that built our family.

Whenever God decides that it's time for us to finally see moving day, I know it's going to be emotional. A good emotional with lots of happy tears ❤️ This apartment gave us so much, but we're ready to start our next chapter.

If you've read this far, thank you from the bottom of my heart, truly! More than anything we're trying to give our babies the space they need, the joy they deserve, and the kind of future we're tirelessly trying so hard to build for them.

If you are able to help in any way at all, I don't even know if I'll be able to speak without falling to my knees, shaking from pure gratitude, and in absolute tears. There's no way in this world I'd ever be able to thank you enough. Your generosity and kind heart would change our families life forever, and we would be forever grateful!

Thank you once more for taking the time to read this. You're sunshine and this world needs more kind, beautiful people like you!

With all of our love and gratitude,The Mikolajczak Family