The Giving Fund
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To help those in need during the holidays, the Greenwich Time and the Stamford Advocate are putting a spotlight on some of our neighbors who could use a helping hand this season.
We are publishing short stories about local people who are down on their luck — and inviting the public to offer assistance through the Giving Fund. The holidays are a time for giving.
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. Every dollar donated to the Giving Fund goes directly to the peoples in the stories, which are published every Thursday and Sunday throughout the holiday season.
The names of those included have been changed to protect their privacy. The Stamford Advocate and Greenwich Time sponsor The Giving Fund in partnership with Family Centers and PersontoPerson.
Readers are invited to brighten the holidays of others by making a donation. Here are the personal stories of some neighbors in need:
Case 370: Ann, a 52yearold single woman, has overcome much adversity in her life and has navigated living through poverty and having to provide for herself and her family. After many years of struggles Ann decided that she wanted to give back to her community the best way she knew how; through work in the healthcare field. Ann has developed a real passion for becoming a Phlebotomy Technician and wants to desperately complete the Phlebotomy Technician program. At the completion of this program Ann would be a certified Phlebotomy Technician allowing her to get a great jump start into the healthcare field. The cost of the program would be $400.00 dollars. Ann does not have any family living nearby and has reached out to other organizations in the community, but they are unable to help.
Case 371: Richard is a 9 year old in fourth grade. Richard lives with his mother, who although works hard cleaning offices, struggles to make ends meet. Richard has a low self esteem and has symptoms of depression. He has come to the point of struggling to take daily showers and putting on clean clothes. He will benefit greatly from joining an afterschool program that can allow him to have more positive peer interaction to alleviate his symptoms. However, her mother does not have any income left to pay for an activity like this after paying for their living expenses. A gift of $500 will help Richard’s mother to pay for an afterschool sport program for Richard that can allow him the opportunity to do sports and feel more content with himself.
Case 372: Billy is a 8 year old in third grade. Billy lives with his mother, who came from Colombia about a year ago and is the sole caretaker for Billy and his twin younger siblings. Billy has frequent feelings of sadness because he misses his family and friends in Colombia. Having more friends and fun activities to do after school would help Jhon feel less lonely in the U.S. His mother tried to sign him up for the YMCA afterschool program at the beginning of the school year, but had to stop it after a week because paying for this activity became a mayor financial struggle for her.
A gift of $500 will help Billy’s mother pay for an afterschool program for Jhon that can allow him to have more fun with friends and feel more content.
Case 373: Jose is a 9 year old boy at Stillmeadow Elementary School. Jose lives with his uncle, who is his legal guardian. Jose’s father was never a part of his life and his mother lives in Guatemala and has a hearing problem that interferes with her ability to be self sufficient. Jose is under the care of his uncle in the U.S. His uncle works in construction many hours but struggles to make ends meet, while providing for himself, Jose and his three children in Guatemala. A gift of $500 will help Jose’s uncle to buy winter clothes for Jose, as this is the first winter that Jose is experiencing in the U.S.
Case 374: Jhon is a nine year old in fourth grade. Jhon feels anxious when having to talk in front of people to the point of remaining silent most of his day at school. Jhon feels sad and frustrated because of this daily. The safe place for Jhon is his family. He loves eating ice cream with mom, dad and his brother. Although both of Jhon’s parents work hard, they do not have any money left for family outings. The financial struggle is so much that Jhon says that he ate chicken this past thanksgiving as his mother did not have money to buy a turkey, as she is falling behind on her bills. A gift of $500 will allow Jhon’s mother to catch up on the bills this winter, and perhaps take Jhon out for an ice cream.
Case 375: Xena is a senior at AITE High School and will be graduating in the spring with a goal to attend college in the Fall. She is currently working two jobs in addition to attending school to help financially support her family. Xena will be the first generation to attend college in the fall. A gift of $300 would be helpful so she could purchase supplies for school such as bedding, sheets and toiletries for the fall.
Case 376: Benny and his four younger siblings have moved from relative to relative all their lives. Benny’s parents abandoned he and his siblings a few years ago, forcing him to live with anyone willing to take them. They are currently sharing a small bedroom with their grandmother, who lives on a fixed income. A gift of $500 would allow Benny’s grandmother to take care of basic needs including food and clothing this winter.
All the cases in the Giving Fund are also listed online. Donations can be made by sending in the coupon in print or going online to stamfordadvocate.com/ givingfund and greenwichtime.com /givingfund and clicking on the link to the dollar amount for the case of interest. Or visit http://bit.ly/2jU5O1H and select from the case numbers above. Donors may also select “any case” and the donation will be applied as needed.