A Way Forward

As the cold morning chill seeped through the windows of his modest home, John, a recent widower, sat down and found himself confronted by the harsh reality of overcoming his grief, managing medical bills, and several past-due notices. John was going through a lot with the loss of his wife. Others saw this and his neighbor recognized his struggle as well. When they talked about how he was doing, she shared how our ministry helped her and suggested he reach out to us too. Though hesitant at first, he mustered the courage to seek help, clinging to the glimmer of hope that others could aid him through this crisis.

Later that day, John arrived in our lobby, where he was called back by Shasta, one of our case managers. He explained to Shasta that he hadn't been working since October, choosing instead to be with his wife. She had recently passed away from pancreatic cancer, "I just didn’t want her to be alone. She was always there for me and now,” his voice trailed off.

Shasta could see the immense weight he was carrying and told him, "We want to help you get through this." She could see that having no income for the past few months had compounded things and explained that others had given to help him get through this crisis.

She shared that we could help by providing him with weekly food assistance and by assisting him with the overdue payments from his heating and electric bill to keep his utilities on. Overwhelmed with gratitude, John sat, and his eyes began to tear up, truly thankful for the opportunity to regain his footing. Turning to Shasta, he expressed, "This is such a blessing. I'm beyond thankful for this."

John's situation is a reminder that in times of hardship, a helping hand can make all the difference. Just as one neighbor stepped in to aid John, through your giving and support, we can unite with others just like him. When troubles begin to overwhelm us, hope for a new way forward can truly shine through, especially when we come together in support and compassion.