Why to invest . . .
I, Yejide Travis, wonder what would happen if at least one m1llion humans knew the truth and invested between $5 and $50, or more for me to return to acting in faith in My Boss, Who is God, and living in community service? I have some very creative ideas of how I will help many people in the West End of Louisville, Ky, when they do.
In January of 2017, I was asked to come into the Section 8 office to re-certify. I answered all their questions honestly. (I have been told by numerous people THAT was my mistake.) When asked the source of my income, I told the truth, that the non-profit I worked for paid my living expenses because most of their services were conducted from my address. The Board of My Daughter’s Foundation, Inc. prepared and submitted an itemized list of payments made on my behalf. The Section 8 worker later called me to say “This report is suspicious since the organization’s name is Nyleve’s Haven and your granddaughter’s name is Nyleve.” (At the time I had no idea how that made any sense. Nyleve’s Haven, the emergency home, is approximately nine years older than the grandchild whose name is the reverse of my mother’s and daughter’s names – Evelyn.) Because the worker did not like nor understand my answers, she dropped me from the program which stopped paying the program’s portion of the rent, without my knowledge.
In June, my landlord sent me a pay or quit notice; I was given 14 days to pay the past-due rent that had not been paid for 6 months. It was the Section 8 portion of the rent past due, not mine. My portion of the rent, $77!!, had been paid, on time, monthly. Of course, I did not have the past due amount. In one week, the landlord went from praying for me to cursing at me. Initially, she acknowledged that something was strange about my case because she had received notification regarding several other residents in the complex when their benefits ended, but nothing about me.
A few days later she, the landlord, started sending me clippings of articles written about me in the press and spoke to me as though I had committed a crime. She verbally attacked me and accused me of “using the system for my personal gain” and said, “There are many good people in this city, you are NOT one of them.” The comments hurt my feelings then and make me angry now. I had done no wrong. I moved out quickly and surrendered the apartment keys to avoid an eviction on my record.
My truth:
My Boss, Who is God, shows out in my life when I am obedient to Divine will and follow God’s guidance. I call it acting on the Word that I Heard, internally. Growing up, my mother said I was charmed; my father said I was blessed. This time, the outer human world said I had nothing to share. My Boss, Who is God, was providing resources that I managed well. I am a very smart and creative businesswoman who generates profit with ease. I am a mother who can take a little bit and make a lot out of it. I serve a powerful God who created and called me to serve. I am committed to helping people, as a lifestyle. God is real!!! My image of the Divine is good, kind, and generous. The story of the number of people My Boss fed with a single package of chicken from the Haven’s freezer is legendary within the Haven household.
I moved into the home of my biological daughter and her family. What bothers me THEE most about that experience is when I was displaced so was a young parent and their eighteen-month-old child. They, the child, had had eleven homes in their short life span. I was working hard to be sure that The Haven was their last stop before their parent could provide for them. Since leaving my home, Nyleve’s Haven, their parent has been a victim of domestic violence and they have lived in three states. The last time I saw the parent, they showed me the permanent scar they had gotten from a knife fight with someone they were staying with. At The Haven, their child never would have witnessed their parent being abused. They were safe in my care!!!!
My only crime was forming a non-profit organization. I say crime because I was convicted of fraudulent behavior and feel punished for responding to My Boss’s call on my life. I lost my own space and the ability to help people. I admit to the charge of unauthorized live-ins. I opened my life and home because it felt like the best thing to do, for me. Most who know me know what I do and why I do it; IT IS A CALL ON MY LIFE. My life’s work is to use my home and my life to offer emergency housing to someone in need. I teach how to develop an authentic, dis-ease free internal relationship that among other positive things leads to healthy self-sufficiency. Proof of concept are the degrees from the University of Louisville, Spalding University, and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary to return to the walls of Nyleve’s Haven when I get back home. Part of my agreement with those who are students is that they will give me a copy of their degree when they graduate.
Because the Section 8 worker could not figure out how God was Godding in my life, I was accused of fraudulent behavior. I was NOT doing anything illegal, immoral, or unethical by the standards of this community!!!!! Nor anything I will not openly and freely admit to if asked by anyone in this community. I do not regret the choice that I made to act in faith and live in service. Someone came to me in need. There was something I could do about it. I did it. I will do so again the very first chance I get. According to her, it is not possible to help people the board acknowledged were being helped with little or no money. She told me that no one would help people like I said I was “for no good reason.” Therefore I HAD to be doing something wrong.
Severe trauma from the experience of losing my home and the ability to be me authentically, several critical health challenges before, during, and after a pandemic took me off my feet. Somewhere in there, I collapsed emotionally. I am blessed to have had my family to hold me until I was able to get back on my feet. Those I feel called to help do not. THAT is why I need to return to my lifestyle choice of service. Nyleve’s Haven is not a program, nor an organization; it is MY home and the way I mother. I am good at what I do.
I am now seeking the support of m1llion social impact investors willing to invest between $5 and $50, or more, for me to first, purchase an emergency home and then, to help local nonprofits and community servants to be of service in the West End of Louisville Ky.