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Holiday Hopes

Whispered worries mix with optimism

By ALEXANDRA ZAYAS
Published December 1, 2006

SULPHUR SPRINGS - Four paint-chipped walls in a tiny motel room are all that stand between Wanda Filson's family and homelessness.

A newspaper taped over the bathroom window can't keep out the glare. A towel tucked under the spray-painted door can't keep out the cold.

And all the distractions the 57-year-old creates for her three grandchildren - games of UNO, a plastic basketball hoop hanging from the door, cartoons on TV - can't keep the kids from whispering their worries when they think she's asleep.

"I don't think we're going to have a Christmas this year," she heard 12-year-old Janell tell her 9-year-old brother Isaiah while Filson lay in bed one recent night.

The grandmother kept her eyes shut, but she couldn't keep in the tears.

Even more accidents

The whirlwind of lost jobs, evictions and temporary addresses began 17 months ago on the steps of her mobile home, with one brick that was a hair higher than the other.

In a hurry to get to her cashier job at Wendy's, Filson caught her toe, landed on a car and shattered the bone connecting her shoulder to her elbow. An 11-inch metal plate and 11 screws later, Filson still can't feel her pinky and ring finger.

Filson's return to her job wouldn't have been so bad if she got to work behind the register. But a new manager assigned her to french fry duty, and with all the lifting at the grease tub, she couldn't stay long.

Meanwhile, she had been scrambling to make rent. The day Filson mustered the money she needed, she found out her landlord had already started the eviction process.

Filson and the kids moved into an apartment and she got a job, but she suffered two more accidents. She tripped over a box and broke her elbow, which required an 8-inch metal plate and eight screws. Then, after a mysterious bump on her back burst into brown goo, she learned she had been bitten by a brown recluse spider, which put her in the hospital for more than a week and later intravenous medication.

Amid the medical chaos, they were evicted again.

"We had nowhere to go," Filson said. They stood in line for homeless recovery services in Tampa Heights.

Filson got vouchers to help pay motel room costs, and they stayed at her daughter's friends' homes when they could. By this time, they had shed most of their belongings.

Through it all, the kids remained optimistic. Nine-year-old Mariah said her favorite place they stayed was the Motel 6, because it had a swimming pool. Her favorite day this past year: "When we went to the all-you-can-eat buffet and we had pizza, ice cream, chicken, mashed potatoes and we ate - until we were full."

Hotel is home for now

Filson, Janell, Isaiah and Mariah have lived at the Lamplighter Motel on N Florida Avenue for a month.

Despite the many moves, the kids have managed to keep their grades high at school, Filson said. She knew Isaiah was smart when he figured out how to administer her IV when a nurse didn't show up at the motel.

Isaiah and Mariah take a school bus to Shaw Elementary. Janell takes a public bus to Van Buren Middle School and Filson takes a different bus to her job at the Olive Garden, where she makes more money than she's ever made: $8.50 per hour.

Filson hopes the family has survived the worst. But holidays are still luxuries on their budget. Janell didn't get her birthday wish this fall: to eat at Red Lobster. And Isaiah doesn't know if he'll get any presents for his birthday on Sunday.

A Nintendo DS or a remote control race car would be nice. He's also never had more than one pair of shoes at a time. Mariah would love art supplies, makeup and a bike. Janell wishes she could have a computer with an Internet connection, so she could actually do her homework at home - whatever home means.

All Filson wants is a miracle: a landlord who will take a chance on someone who has been evicted and a house that will fall from the sky, where Isaiah could have a room of his own, Janell could bring in animals she rescues and Mariah could ride her bike.

Filson just wants that - and a new year.

Alexandra Zayas can be reached at 226-3354 or azayas@sptimes.com

How to help

Donations can be made by check in the name of Wanda Filson and sent to:

Homeless Education and Literacy Project

c/o Project Manager Kathy Wiggins

2100 E 26th Ave.

Tampa, FL 33605

For more information, contact Wiggins at 272-0673, ext. 226.

About Holiday Hopes

Holiday Hopes is a four-part series profiling people in need. North of Tampa will update readers if and when wishes are granted.

[Last modified November 30, 2006, 07:31:25]