RICHLAND, Ga. (WALB) — Almost three months after a house fire destroyed everything they owned, the Hickman family of eight is living in a single camper parked in a relative’s backyard.

Layken Hickman said she is doing her best to keep life steady for her six children despite the cramped space and the reality of homelessness.

“I think they cover it more than they should have to. They keep it to themselves more than they should have to. They should be able to express themselves. But you can tell when they’re upset, they just want to go home because this isn’t home for us,” Hickman said.

What keeps her together through it all, she said, is leaning on each other while they try to rebuild.

“It’s gone. It’s going to be hard to recover. It’s going to be hard to start over, but as long as Chris and I and the kids can stay together as one, I don’t care about the rest of it,” Hickman said.

Lack of local resources

In the days after the fire, the family received initial help from organizations like the Red Cross, but after that, Hickman said she was told there were virtually no local resources because their home is in Stewart County.

“To find out that there was absolutely no resources in our area was completely shocking, because why? Why is there resources 20 miles this way, but not here? Why did we not get any kind of support whatsoever? So it was a huge shock,” Hickman said.

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Advocating for change

While Hickman is still rebuilding her own life, she said what her family went through is pushing her to help other rural families facing hard times.

“I’ve reached out to random influencers and celebrities just like, please help us. I’ve accepted that we may never get that help. So I’ve actually decided to push forward with bringing awareness to it, because I believe that every small town in Georgia deserves the same equality as other ones,” Hickman said.

Hickman said she is reaching out to the governor’s office and state lawmakers, hoping to build momentum for stronger disaster-aid resources in rural areas.

“I want to know that the next family that has to experience this will not have to do it alone. I want to know that the state was pushed to, ‘Hey, we need to have more resources. We need to have more support.’ That is my goal now. I want to help others,” Hickman said.

She said the experience has tested her but that she has grown into a stronger support system for her family, even when she sometimes needs support herself.

“This is just part of our growth. You cannot let it determine who you are and blame yourself for it. You just got to make sure that your kids see you’re still their mom and you’re not going to quit. You’re going to keep going. Moms don’t quit,” Hickman said.

The Hickman family is trying to raise enough money for a down payment on a home. For more information about how to support the family, view Layken Hickman’s Facebook page below:

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