Well-Wishers Raise Over R2.5m for Mother, 3 Children Facing Eviction
- Dasha Kelly lost her job as a card dealer when COVID-19 forced Las Vegas' famed casinos to shut their doors last year
- She had a few temporary positions since, but not enough to keep up with rent, among other expenses
- Now, desperate to stay in her home, the 32-year-old pawned most of her furniture for cash neither that has helped
- On Monday night, she launched a GoFundMe campaign in the hopes of gathering R28 783
- The campaign has already raised over R2.5 million from over 2,700 donors in just 24 hours
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly.co.za News on your News Feed!
Dasha Kelly was on the verge of being evicted from her Las Vegas apartment on Monday, August 2, and had no idea how she would pay her accrued rent.
Source: UGC
However, after her story was aired, more than $170,000 (R2.5 million) was raised for her and her three girls in just one day, thanks to generous well-wishers.
Kelly sat on her couch, one of the final pieces of furniture remaining in her apartment, to see how much money had been raised, and on learning the amount, she was flabbergasted.
The family was featured in a CNN report on the federal eviction moratorium that ended this past weekend that aired on Monday.
"I just want to tell everybody thank you so much. I'm still in denial," Kelly said as tears ran down her face.
PAY ATTENTION: Never miss breaking news – join Briefly News' Telegram channel
"I had no idea what we were going to do," Kelly said about facing eviction.
Mother of three loses job
When the COVID-19 pandemic prompted casinos to close last year, the 32-year-old mother of three lost her job as a card dealer.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, she is one of more than 11 million Americans who are overdue on their rent.
On Monday night, she launched a GoFundMe campaign in the hopes of gathering $2,000 (R28 783) to pay her rent arrears.
"It gave me a lot of hope. And I just want to make sure I do the best that I can to help the next person that is in my same situation," she said.
The campaign has already raised over KSh KSh 18,480,700 from over 2,700 donors in just 24 hours.
Lebo M booted out of luxury Joburg mansion, sued for whopping R700k
Lebo M has reportedly been kicked out of his rented mansion in Johannesburg. The Lion King producer's landlady has even taken legal action against the media personality.
The award-winning composer was evicted recently at his posh golf estate home by the property owner, Elizabeth Leonora Alexander. When he was being kicked out, the star allegedly damaged curtains, the gas braai, remotes and other valuable items.
Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLY's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news!
Source: Briefly News
Stefan Mack (Editor) Stefan Mack is an English and history teacher who has broadened his horizons with journalism. He enjoys experiencing the human condition through the world's media. Stefan keeps Briefly News' readers entertained during the weekend. He graduated from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2010 with a Bachelor of Education (BEd), majoring in History and English. Stefan has been writing for Briefly News for a number of years and has covered mainstream to human interest articles.
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
