A GoFundMe has raised more than $100,000 for a single mother who was arrested for leaving her kids at a motel so she could go to work.
Per the Independent, 24-year-old Shaina Bell was taken into police custody in the middle of her shift at a Little Caesars Pizzeria in Liberty Township, Ohio, on Thursday night.
According to the authorities, they had found her two young children - a two-year-old girl and a 10-year-old girl - alone at a Motel Six in the area.
Bell had insisted that the kids were being monitored every hour by someone she knew and that she'd be with them by 10:00PM.
However, the police decided to charge the young mom with two counts of child endangerment. Bell pleaded not guilty to the charges and was locked up overnight.
When her story was picked up by local media, however, a number of people rushed to her defense on social media - including a congressman.
"Women are damned if they do or damned if they don’t," Rep. Ruben Gallego wrote on Twitter. "Stay at home with your kids and receive government assistance and you are a leech, go to work for poverty wages and can’t get consistent sitters and go to jail."
It wasn't long before a GoFundMe page was set up for the working mom. Danielle Hosey, who says she is Bell’s mother, wrote as part of the fundraiser:
"Shaina is a single mother of three young children. She works hard and she loves her family very much.
"On Thursday February 11, 2021 Shaina was arrested at her job and taken to jail for leaving two of her children (ages 10 and 2) alone in their hotel room while she went to work.
"She was released the next day but found herself in the need of immediate housing."
Hosey went on to say that the campaign was set up to help Bell and her children raise the money they need in order to secure permanent and safe housing.
She continued:
"Everything raised will go directly to establishing a safe and permanent home for Shaina, Faith, Jai'Sean and Jade.
"We understand that everyone has a story and we are grateful that you are listening to ours.
"From the bottom of our hearts we not only appreciate the financial contributions, but also the outpouring of support in the form of kind words and understanding."
The target of the GoFundMe page was to raise $5,000, a goal that has been exceeded by a very large amount. In fact, at the time of writing, a total of $112,689 has been donated.
A number of the donors also shared their respect for the young mother who is simply trying to juggle childcare and making ends meet amid a tough economic climate.
One person shared: "You are obviously a great mother providing for your children. I’m so sorry this happened to you. Wish I could give you a hug!"
Another wrote: "It's just wrong that a parent has to choose between earning a wage and providing child care. Stop criminalizing working class single women!"
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