Difficult year includes health and car problems

This year’s been even harder than usual for Anne and her family.

“We’re no strangers to hardship — my family’s been through the wringer and back,” she said, “but this year’s been different.”

It actually started last year for the single mother of a 20-year-old daughter, 18-year-old son and 9-yearold-daughter who turns 10 a few days before Christmas.

In 2019, “I was always sick,” said Anne, whose name has been changed in this article to protect the family’s privacy. “My body was deteriorating and I didn’t really know why.”

She was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, then shortly after Christmas came a second diagnosis, multiple sclerosis.

“I’m still being treated for the thyroid cancer, as well as MS,” Anne said.

The family does not have other relatives in the area, she said.

Her daughter was the only source of income for the family, she said.

“My Social Security won’t go through. I don’t know why,” Anne said.

“Once everything shut down, my daughter got laid off, and she had just found out she was pregnant,” Anne said. “Right now, we have nothing coming in.”

In the meantime, there were car problems for the family’s only vehicle.

“My transmission blew, which cost me $4,000,” Anne said.

In order to pay the bill, she had to borrow most of the money from her daughter, she said.

That didn’t fix all the problems with the vehicle, though, which needs more work, including new brakes, she said.

“I hate putting my kids in it, but we have no choice now,” Anne said.

“It won’t pass inspection or emissions,” she said, “and basically, I don’t have money to get it fixed.”

The clothes washer also had to be replaced after it stopped working, she said. She was able to find and buy one for $200, but that doesn’t work anymore, so the family now does not have a washer, she said.

She tries to help her stepfather who has health issues, but doesn’t drive to his home as often as she previously did because of the car problems, she said.

There are also overdue utility bills.

“It’s so upsetting because I was finally catching up on everything,” Anne said. Now that’s changed. “It was either pay one of them or going to the [grocery] store,” Anne said.

She said she’s worried about losing Wi-Fi because her children need it for school during the pandemic.

The family didn’t have a computer of their own to use for the school work, she said.

“We had to borrow one from the school for them to be able to get their work done,” she said.

The 9-year-old is outgrowing her clothes and needs new clothing, her mother said.

Her 20-year-old daughter, who is six-months pregnant, is classified a highrisk pregnancy, but the baby is healthy, she said.

Now the holidays are coming, along with her youngest child’s birthday.

“I just want my kids home for the holidays and my family together,” Anne said.

Now in its 30th year, Operation Holiday has provided a brighter holiday season to thousands of families with children throughout the region.

Donations from readers last year totaled more than $35,000 and allowed the program to provide food and gifts for 107 families with 325 children in need.

This year, 15 agencies in Montgomery and Chester counties have referred families in need, many of them affected by the devastation of the global pandemic. Stories of families interviewed by our reporters will appear in the newspaper and online between now and Dec. 24.

Also this year due to the hardship in our communities caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Operation Holiday will make cash donations to local food pantries so that families will have access to food during the winter months.

There is no overhead with Operation Holiday and all funds stay local. Funds are collected and audited in a nonprofit foundation account managed by staff of MediaNews Group.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings, the food packaging program will not take place this year. Families instead will be given gift cards for food in addition to the gift cards for gifts.

Gift cards for every child in the program 16 years of age or younger are purchased through Boscov’s and distributed in partnership with the referring agencies.

Operation Holiday does not accept families who have not been referred by an agency in order to protect the integrity of the program.

Operation Holiday is funded solely by readers’ contributions. All contributions are tax deductible.

Contributions can be mailed to The Mercury, Attn: Operation Holiday, PO Box 1181, Pottstown, PA 19464, or The Reporter, 307 Derstine Ave., Lansdale PA 19446. Make checks payable to “Operation Holiday.” Online donations are being accepted in a secure portal in partnership with TriCounty Community Network. Visit https://tcnetwork.org/ and click on the link for Operation Holiday.

“Once everything shut down, my daughter got laid off, and she had just found out she was pregnant. Right now, we have nothing coming in.” — Anne