A GoFundMe page has been started for a retired Jersey City nurse who was evicted from her home after a hospital stay for cardiac issues.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Pat [Bender] was evicted from her home in Jersey City after a hospital stay. She lost everything; including all of her identification, clothing, family pictures, etc. Pat managed to get to the local shelter where she had been for at least 4 months when I met her. I’ve been working with Pat over the last two months to get her back on her feet,” Kristina Paolini wrote in the GoFundMe page description.
“With the help of many kind people in the community, we have managed to get Pat forms of identification, clothing, and temporary housing in a motel. In my eyes, Pat’s story has proven that miracles are real and that there are many people in this world who want to do good. She has brought people from the local church, the DMV, CapitalOne, and strangers who knew nothing about her together but even more so, these people have gone above and beyond to help. These acts of kindness have helped us get to where we are today.”
Bender, 80, was living in the Jersey City Heights before she was evicted and briefly stayed at the Hoboken Homeless Shelter before the county put her up in a hotel on Tonnelle Avenue.
The GoFundMe page, which has set a $5,000 goal and has raised $1,235 so far, is so that Bender can have her own place to live again.
“Although we have made an immense amount of progress, we are now challenged with finding permanent housing for Pat and getting her financially stable again,” the page explains.
“We are starting this GoFundMe as a way to share Pat’s story, to show that a little kindness can go a long way, and to assist her in finding an apartment and getting back on her feet in the Jersey City area. Any donations large or small, connections to housing, or any other resources are greatly appreciated.”