One Family

December 2007

Jim, who is disabled, came in to inquire about utility assistance. He had been to Community Services League eight months ago, at a time when his family was in turmoil and he was in a panic. Back then, he had just gotten temporary custody of his three daughters, whose mother was abusing them, and he needed food, clothes, blankets, sheets – anything and everything we could come up with. In the intervening months, the girls had been bounced back and forth, and he told us he had recently gotten permanent custody---but his disability check barely covers the rent on the small house that he found, much less utilities. In spite of his predicament, he told us, with tears in his eyes, how proud he was of his girls. He was at their parent-teacher conferences the previous evening and, in spite of all they’ve been through, they are all getting straight A’s, and their teachers had nothing but praise for them!

Fortunately, Community Services League was not only able to take care of the burden of the utility bill, but we were also able to sign him up for other services and refer him for food stamps, which will be an ongoing source of help.

While he was here, we registered him for our Christmas Store, which really delighted him. He told us that when he asked his daughters what they wanted for Christmas, they wouldn’t even talk about it because they knew he didn’t have money for presents…..now he would be able to tell them that Santa would be coming this year after all!

As we talked about his financial situation, he was provided with HUD Certified Housing Counseling and provided information about who to contact for subsidized housing. Hopefully, he will soon be able to move into safe, affordable housing with his daughters, and he will be able to put aside a little money for things like birthday gifts for his children which, in his current circumstances, he’d never be able to afford.