Surgery, ongoing unemployment challenge family
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has presented a number of challenges for Sadie, her husband and four children.
“It’s been terrible,” Sadie said.
After being in a car accident, Sadie underwent neck surgery in April. She’s been out of work since the beginning of the pandemic and has been applying unsuccessfully for a job.
She was originally a nurse assistant, but had to quit her job prior to surgery because of it
being too labor intensive. She’s currently looking for jobs in the medical and administrative fields.
Sadie is also a nursing major at Montgomery County Community College. Like many other students in elementary, secondary and higher education, online learning has been a difficult adjustment for her and her family.
Sadie said she’d rather be taking classes face-toface, and the “virtual stuff [is] very complicated.” She noted that some of her children and stepchildren have also struggled with focusing while in virtual school.
Her husband, Mike, was working in landscaping, but is now looking for employment. On top of that, Sadie said her landlord is selling their house, and they need to find a new place to live.
“It’s been a horrible year,” she said.
Sadie said her family
has been spending time at home due to the rising cases of coronavirus. Sadie has a 7-year-old daughter Bella, a 9-year-old son Leo and two stepsons, Luca, 16, and Milo, 17.
Her children and stepchildren have been doing the best they can to adjust.
“They’re good kids,” she said.
W hile this past year has been particularly difficult, Sadie said she’s grateful for assistance this holiday season as “that will definitely help.”
Sadie said that Bella would like Santa to bring her an LOL doll and that Leo would like clothes or something related to Pokémon. She added her older stepsons would be happy with money or gift cards, which is a challenge because “I can’t supply it for them.”
Despite the stressful year, Sadie said she still tries to maintain a positive attitude and keep her head up.
Now in its 30th year, Operation Holiday has provided a brighter holiday season to
thousands of families like Sadie’s 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 December 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 non-profit 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.