Woman from abusive past seeks to ‘rent’ family on Craigslist for the holidays

[Playinghardball]

According to Stockton, CA’s Channel 10 News, William Jessup University student Jackie Turner has faced a lifetime of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, survived the rough life of the streets and is now in search of a little comfort and joy.

“I am looking to rent a mom and dad who can give me attention and make me feel like the light of their life just for a couple of days because I really need it,” Turner wrote on Craigslist, the popular online classified ad service.

“I’ve never felt the touch of my Mom hugging me and holding me. I don’t know what it’s like to look in my dad’s eyes and feel love instead of hatred,” she told Channel 10.

“On the outside, it looks like I’m the American dream kid,” Turner said. “But I have a back story that most people wouldn’t believe if they looked at me today.”

“I was in gang life, on the streets, fighting, doing drugs, just making a mess of my life,” she explained.

After an arrest for grand theft and a year behind bars, Turner decided to try to turn her life around. Now she’s maintaining a 4.0 grade point average at William Jessup University, but she feels that there’s something missing from her life.

“There’s still something deep inside of me. There’s this void, my biological parents aren’t here, and it’s kept this hole inside of me,” she said.

So she turned to the Internet, placing an ad on Craigslist and offering to pay $8 an hour “to rent a mom and dad.”

“Just to sit, just to listen,” she said. “Just to cry with me, no strings beyond that.”

Dozens of families replied saying that would be happy to take Turner into their embrace at no charge. It was the other people who she heard from who surprised Turner.

More and see the video at: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/12/07/woman-from-abusive-past-seeks-to-rent-family-on-craigslist-for-the-holidays/

[polichick]

1. I'm so glad she got lots of responses - kudos to her for creativity and courage!

[bigtree]

2. she could have us, no charge

bless her heart

[BlueJazz]

3. Awww..That was nice to say...

[Ikonoklast]

7. One more smiling face at the table is always a blessing.

Our family's motto is all are welcome, the more the merrier, especially those who have no people of their own to celebrate with.

[roguevalley]

9. me too. i have space.

[lumberjack_jeff]

4. +100 n/t

“People are afraid to open their mouths and say, ‘This hurts, this sucks’,” she said tearfully. Her ad gave them a safe space to open up.

Now instead of renting a family, Turner said she is creating one, bringing together the other survivors who contacted her.

I would also add that volunteering is a great way to spend the holidays, even if you have a good family.

[RainDog]

5. she's brave n/t

[ChisolmTrailDem]

6. The thought of all those people this will help feel better brings a tear to my eye. n/t

[UtahLib]

8. I'm so happy for her. It's wonderful to see that having the courage to reach out

has brought her and her new found family the chance of having a, richly deserved, happy new future.

[ohheckyeah]

10. I'm so glad she got a lot of responses.

I feel for her.