A young working mother can’t afford a couch and other neighbors in need
Christmas is around the corner, and the spirit of giving is front and center.
For some, that spirit shows itself in the gifts that will be exchanged between friends and family; for others, volunteering at a shelter or food kitchen brings meaning to the season.
And for those who want to help individuals on the edge, there’s the Giving Fund.
“We are blessed to live in a part of the country, and indeed the world, where people have the ability to give back to their neighbors and their community,” said Nancy Coughlin, CEO of Person to Person. “The Giving Fund makes it possible to help people directly.”
Now in its 40th year, the Giving
Fund — co-sponsored by Hearst Connecticut Media, Greenwichbased Family Centers and Darienbased Person to Person — tells the stories of local residents in need of a helping hand. The goal is to provide small monetary donations to families striving to cover the cost of necessities, from rent and utilities to transportation costs and medical bills, or even winter clothes and food.
Each case in the Giving Fund includes an estimated dollar amount that would help a local person or family tackle everyday challenges, such as rent payments, child care costs and transportation during this difficult time. Every dollar donated to the Giving Fund goes directly to the people in the stories.
In many cases, the people who need help with necessities have no family or friends to call on, which exacerbates their situations.
The stories will be published twice a week — every Thursday and Sunday — in The Stamford Advocate and Greenwich Time and weekly in the Darien Times and New Canaan Advertiser throughout the holiday season.
The names have been changed to protect the participants’ privacy. Here are the stories of 10 neighbors in need:
Laura is one of two children living in a two bedroom apartment with their grandma. Grandma is unable to work due to a disability. Laura reports needing
new bed frames for both her and her sister this winter as their bunkbed recently broke. A gift of $200 would allow grandma to provide this for her grandchildren. Case 191: Kelly is one of five children living in an apartment with her mom. Mom works as a nurse during the day to help provide for the family. Kelly reports that her family is often low on food and basic necessities. A gift of $300 would help mom afford groceries and basic necessities for her children.
Case 192: The past few months have been difficult for Maria; her husband is incarcerated, Maria is unemployed and has four children — a newborn, one 18 months, one 4 and one 5 years old. Maria rents a room and she is not able to pay the rent. Her motherin-law, who is struggling financially, is supporting Maria during this challenge time. A gift of $800 would help Maria with her rent, food, transportation and diapers.
Case 193: Iris is a young single mother of a nearly 3year-old child. For the past three months, Iris has been applying to multiple workplaces,
but she has been unsuccessful. Iris and her son are dependent on Iris’s mother, Janet, for essentials such as food, shelter, clothing and more. But Janet has two younger children who also live in the home. Janet works full-time but is struggling to pay her bills and her grandson’s expenses. A gift of $500 will help Iris’s mother pay the electricity bill, rent and other expenses.
Case 194: April is a single mother of two young boys. While working two part-time jobs and earning minimum wage, April is struggling financially and unable to pay her bills on time. April has very little support from her family, since they do not live nearby. A gift of $500 would help April pay utility bills this winter.
Case 195: Fabiola is the single mother of a 3-yearold boy. She has a full-time job that allows her to provide food and shelter for herself and her son. Fabiola has no family in the U.S. and has very little support from close friends. Fabiola’s wish is to purchase a couch for her small living room. However, with her salary, Fabiola cannot afford to buy a couch. A gift of $500 would allow Fabiola to purchase a couch and spend quality time with her son after a long day at work.
Case 196: Deysi is the mother of two children, a teenager and an infant. Deysi is a survivor of domestic violence and was forced to immigrate from her birth country to the United States. A few years after her arrival, Deysi met the love of her life, Hugo. Deysi and Hugo got married and planned to have children together but Danna had three miscarriages in the past five years because of health complications. About a year ago, the couple welcomed their longed-for baby girl but with the baby’s arrival, both parents had to make changes to their work schedules to take care of their child. The family has been struggling financially. A gift of $500 would help the family pay baby expenses and utility bills.
Case 197: Juan and Emma
are the parents of three children, including one born about 10 months ago. Although the family is grateful for their son’s arrival, they have been experiencing financial hardship. The child was diagnosed with pneumonia recently and was very ill for about two weeks and Emma was forced to take unpaid days from work to care for her baby. A gift of $500 would help this family pay their
electrical and grocery bills this winter.
Case 198: Mary, a domestic abuse survivor, is the mother of a 25-month-old toddler. She works two part-time jobs, providing food, shelter and basic essentials for herself and her daughter. Mary has come a long way as a single mother. This year, she was able to get her own studio apartment. However, Mary still does not have a dining table and chairs. A gift of $500 would allow Mary to purchase a table so she and her daughter can eat meals together.
Case 199: Emily is a firsttime mother to a 6-monthold baby girl. She was working a full-time job and a part-time job to make ends meet. About three weeks ago, Emily quit her parttime job so she could spend quality time with her daughter. She is struggling with paying bills on time since she is no longer receiving the same income. A gift of $500 would help Emily cover baby expenses and utility bills.