Our Story

Hello, our names are Thomas Janis and Caitlin Schartz. We are a mixed family-I am Native American(Oglala Lakota), originally from the poorest reservation in the United States, and Caitlin is white and was raised in foster care. Together, we live here in Rapid City, South Dakota, and are raising our 7 beautiful children. We are a resilient family of 9, but right now, we are facing our hardest battle yet.

Our home was recently foreclosed on. Due to job security. I worked for a nonprofit creating change for indigenous peoples and protecting mother earth. Federal funding was cut and it's been hard trying to bounce back, when i made it my soul purpose to service the people from all walks of life.

Overnight, our large family became homeless. We currently have no place to call home right here in the city, and we are doing everything we can to keep our kids safe, stable, and together while we work to rebuild.

Why We Need Your Help

Finding housing for a family of nine is incredibly challenging under normal circumstances, but doing so in the Rapid City rental market after a foreclosure makes it nearly impossible without immediate support. We are starting completely over from scratch.

We are raising funds to help our family get back on our feet. Your donations will go directly toward:

Securing a rental home (first month's rent, last month's rent, and security deposits in the Rapid City area).

Temporary emergency shelter to keep our 7 children safe and warm while we secure a lease.

Basic necessities like food, clothes, and essential supplies for the kids during this transition.

Every Share and Dollar Counts

We chose FreeFunder because they do not take a platform fee from our donations, meaning 100% of your support goes straight to housing our children.

If you cannot donate, please consider sharing our link with your friends, family, or local community groups. Sharing our story is just as valuable as a financial gift. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping our family find a safe place to call home and rebuild our future.