Rural Marin family sees warmer days after lifeline

SEASON OF SHARING DONOR LIST

When you live in a rural community like San Geronimo, your heat comes from propane.

For Deirdre McDonald, Victor Urbaez and their son, Sage Urbaez, the propane bills piled up to the extent that they were looking ahead at a long, cold winter.

At the same time, when their income dropped precipitously because of shelterinplace orders, they fell behind on the rent on their cozy onebedroom cottage.

Urbaez, 64, makes a living doing window washing, housepainting and repairs — all work that dried up during the pandemic. McDonald, 58, has low vision caused by glaucoma and gets Social Security income.

“We were hanging from a cliff on a rope,” Urbaez said. “When the pandemic hit, that was the breaking point. Without help at that particular time, it would have been game up.”

The family was “in a bit of duress ... really struggling,” said Chris Miranda, safety net services manager at Community Action Marin, a social services agency. McDonald “was overwhelmed

and stressed out because she had a lot going on.”

The agency connected them with the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund, which covered two months’ worth of rent. It also referred them to a source of assistance for their propane bills.

Season of Sharing works yearround to help people in the ninecounty Bay Area, seeking to prevent homelessness and hunger. All administrative costs are covered by The Chronicle and the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund, so 100% of donations go directly to help communities in need.

McDonald gets emotional talking about the help.

“They rescued me completely,” she said. “With shelterinpalace, Victor had no work, and the rent was unpaid. My anxiety level hit the roof.”

Urbaez likewise is appreciative and also grateful for the many lifelong friends who’ve stepped up. “That kind of a network helps a lot with survival; it’s key for people like ourselves,” he said.

Urbaez has been picking up more jobs lately, but not enough to cover the rent and bills. He had hoped to make some money driving for Uber, but the transmission died on his Nissan Xterra, and he can’t afford the thousands of dollars to get it repaired. Instead, he got an old beatup Volkswagen Jetta just to get around.

“I love to work; I don’t want a handout,” he said.

His other love is music: He plays both guitar and bass, and had started getting some gigs as a backup musician before the pandemic. He’s done some Zoom concerts in recent months.

“Music is healing,” he said. “It raises the energy, both physical and spiritual, of the audience.”

Distance learning has been hard on Sage, 17, who misses his friends and is disappointed to lose out on typical senioryear experiences. He’s pinning hope on a soccer scholarship for lowincome families, but will also apply to San Francisco State and Sacramento State, as well as community colleges.

McDonald started losing vision at age 29.

“Getting the glaucoma was definitely a monkey wrench for me,” she said.

She was able to work at a local boutique for some years and also worked as a physical therapy aide. More recently, she has made and sold crafts and taught classes in dance and healing arts. She’d like to teach classes about vision health.

Even though their landlord is understanding, she’s worried about how they’ll make ends meet.

“The landlord has been kind and nice about not demanding the rent. That’s been a grace,” she said. “But I have a lot of terror and anxiety — how will we pay our rent in six months?

“I’m living in the unknown; I think a lot of us are.”

Fund total as of Dec. 9: $ 7,362,873

Advocate ($ 1,000$ 1,499): Anonymous, in memory of Anna & Mike Kostic; Lori & Dennis McBride; Anonymous, in memory of my father, Arthur S. Fraumeni.

Supporter ($ 500$ 999): Martha & Darryl Hart; Dennis & Linda Holl, in memory of Art & Claire Holl; Ruth & Bill Palmer; James Rathkopf; Noelle, Emily and Jessica Robbins, in memory of Jerry Robbins, Margaret & Jacob Robbins, Marijoy & Noel Rubaloff.

Collaborator ($ 250$ 499): Herman & Wendy Bond; Rene Cortinaz, in memory of Peter Fenerin; Olallo L Fernandez, in memory of Joy Conde; Olallo L Fernandez, in memory of Jose O. & Maria del Carmen Fernandez; Bernie & Julie Rose; Forest Weld & Deborah Hill.

Booster ($ 150$ 249):

Geri Degen, in memory of Sidney & Rochelle Degen; Barbara H. Dwyer, in memory of Patty Jordan; Jake & Freya Fuchs, in memory of Chris Schaadt; Tom & Diane Levison, in memory of our parents; Maria & Richard Mazer, in memory of Raymond McGrath; Carolyn Power Perlstein; Lisa & Mark Rosenthal; Bill & Annette Scarabosio, in memory of A. & A. Cavallero and S. & I. Scarabosio.

Contributor ($ 100$ 149): Patricia Baldwin; Laurier Callaway; Robert Patrick Corr; Mark & Melissa Cowan; Charles Cruger, in honor of Marian & Norbert Langer; Hunter and Betty Grant; Stephen & Elizabeth Johnson; Annie Kersting & Greg Murphy; Tom Medin & Edward Fristoe, in memory of Dr. Julia Medin; Kathryn Morelli, in memory of Frank; Beth Nordeen, in memory of Kermit Nordeen; Beth Schneider; Robert Stern.

Friend ($ 50$ 99): Donna Steger.

Additional donations:

Connie Archer & Bill Germany, in memory of Pauline Archer and Arlene Germany; Sid &

Joyce Berenstein, in honor of Cindy, Ford, Cole, Blake and Miranda Sibley; Sid & Joyce Berenstein, in honor of Mark & Jacob Berenstein; Cynthia & Dave Blumgart; the Caird Arbonas; June Cheit; Jack Coakley & Holly Warburton; Nancy & Sid Cohen; Peter Cook, in honor of Ron Wong; Roy & Betsy Eisenhardt, in honor of Richard Mendelsohn; Rose Girard, in memory of Samuel M. Adams; James Holmes; Kathleen Isaacson & Chris Alger; Marc Katz & Laura Gasser; Richard D. Klapp; William W. Lary; David Leydig; Ruben Lopez, in memory of Dariann Lopez; Doris Lopez; Joanne Mandel, in memory of Dorothy George; John & Louise Mason; Rebecca Mendez; Somao Ochi; Susan Owyang; the Recks, in memory of Alex Trebek; John Shiels; Jane Wattenberg & Samuel Chase, in memory of Dr. Albert Daven.

Anonymous donations in honor of: Evelyn & Walter Haas; Oliver Page.

Anonymous donations in memory of: Adrianna; Loring & Francine de Martini; Leo & Pat Hughes; Leo & Doogie; John Murphy.

“They rescued me completely. ... Victor had no work, and the rent was unpaid. My anxiety level hit the roof.”

Dierdre McDonald of San Geronimo, whose family received assistance from Season of Sharing