A 108-year-old Christian woman who was nearly evicted from an assisted living facility is now able to keep her home thanks to the generosity of strangers, who raised over $57,000 to support her.
According to reports, Carrie Rausch was nearly evicted from the assisted living facility she had been in for three years in Columbus, Ohio after spending 80 years in the same house. If evicted, she would have been forced to move to a nursing home, as the management at the facility stopped accepting Medicaid as a form of payment.
Her daughter Susan Hatfield set up a GoFundMe page with the goal of raising at least $40,000 from donors to cover a year of room and board: "An extended care facility is far from appropriate for a woman who is still very much enjoying life," Susan wrote on the GoFundMe page. "She gets around well with a walker, can get in my car for outings, attends family functions, and still says ‘Hi' to everyone she meets. I think this is due in in large part to a life-long dedication to good nutrition, beginning in the 1950s before it was easy to do, and always maintaining a good attitude. One of her favorite quotes is ‘Do the best with what you have to work with.'"
Local media soon caught wind of Rausch's story, and donations began pouring in from Good Samaritans all around the country. Within three months, the crowdsourcing effort exceeded her goal with nearly 1,000 people generously donating over $57,000 collectively, allowing Rausch to stay in the assisted living facility over a year.
"Oh my goodness!" Rausch said in reaction to the news, according to People. "It makes me feel wonderful that I have a lot of people that care. I want to say bless you all and I appreciate it and I really, really thank you. It's a blessing and you're all a blessing - to me and to all of us."
The family said any extra money raised would be going to Rausch's lifelong church, St. John's Lutheran. Hatfield said that her mother was never concerned for her future, as she's always held a strong faith in God.
"My mom has always said the Lord will take care of her," Hatfield said. "What an amazing testament to the existence of basic human kindness in a time when it sometimes seems in short supply. We thank you all so very much."
