During a recent convenience store stop, I said hello to the woman I frequently see working behind the counter. As an employee of Christian HELP I knew we had given her a box of groceries, but hadn’t seen her since. I asked her how she was doing. She broke down in tears and saidshe was ashamed to say both her electric and water had been turned off and she was waiting for her tax return to turn them back on.
After I offered comfort, I asked her to tell me more.
Her husband is disabled and can’t work, while she works as many hours as possible just to keep a roof over their head. I asked why she hadn’t returned to Christian HELP and she said, “Well, I work as many hours as they’ll give me, so I figured I couldn’t get any help anywhere”. Pause and take note. This is what a lot of working people think because this is what so many agencies do – provide relief for those who are considered at or near the Federal Poverty Level.
Many working people suffer in silence and live with the imminent potential of sliding into poverty and homelessness…unless someone intervenes to hear their story and provide practical help. I told her not to despair; her story wasn’t finished yet, we could help.
Her husband is disabled and can’t work, while she works as many hours as possible just to keep a roof over their head. I asked why she hadn’t returned to Christian HELP and she said, “Well, I work as many hours as they’ll give me, so I figured I couldn’t get any help anywhere”. Pause and take note. This is what a lot of working people think because this is what so many agencies do – provide relief for those who are considered at or near the Federal Poverty Level.
Many working people suffer in silence and live with the imminent potential of sliding into poverty and homelessness…unless someone intervenes to hear their story and provide practical help. I told her not to despair; her story wasn’t finished yet, we could help.
I was able to explain that she is the type of family we want to help,the people who are working hard, yet struggle to make ends meet.I gave her resources where she could get financial aid and made an appointment for her to come in and qualify for a food program with us whereby the money she saved could go to pay bills. Followingthat, we could meet with her to see how she could improve her income. This is the type of person we work with throughout the year, those on the edge of crisis, disaster, and despair. They make too much to qualify for government assistance and even multiple community programs, but they are in need still, and a little help can actually take them a long way in their future. This is why we are so passionate about empowering family independence at Christian HELP. Without it, our neighbors remain in need or if they receive relief only, it must be repeated again and again. This woman’s story is just getting started, but like the 97% of our clients we work with, we are expecting her earnings to increase and her story to end better than it started. The underemployed need an advocate, options, and a plan.
This is the heart of the matter. This is Christian HELP.
- Tracy Trimblett
This is the heart of the matter. This is Christian HELP.
- Tracy Trimblett