Dear W.C.,
I have been trying to move my elderly aunt in with me. She is living alone two states away since her husband died last year. We have always been close, and I am the only family she has left. I have an extra bedroom now that my daughter has moved out, and I could help her with any needs she has. My aunt is struggling to pay her bills since my uncle died and she is behind in her rent. She could also use my help with showering, laundry, housekeeping and meals. I could really use her help with my house payment so it will be a good situation for both of us. I will be driving to get her in two weeks, and I am worried about my car being roadworthy and affording gas and food on our trip. Is that something you could help with? Would you be able to help us with a new bed and possibly a lift chair to help her get in and out of a chair? These would be greatly appreciated and make her life so much more comfortable. There is no way either of us could ever afford these things and it is not worth the expense moving any of her old furniture. Thank you for considering my request. My aunt is really excited about the possibility of us living together, versus her being alone all the time. Your help with moving my aunt to Wisconsin would greatly improve both our lives.
Dear Readers,
It is extremely gratifying when we help an elderly person move in with a loved one, especially when doing this will improve both women’s lives. This letter seemed heartfelt and was something I knew we could assist with.
I called the woman who wrote the letter to find out more about their situation. As I often do, I discovered more needs than asked for in this letter.
After our introductions, we talked about the woman’s current living situation. She owned her own small home and was a widow for the past 15 years. She had raised her daughter on her own and that daughter was now grown and living her own life. The woman worked full-time but had been getting help with expenses from her daughter until she moved out. Now she was struggling to pay everything on her own. We went over her budget, and I found some areas that could be adjusted to make her budget more effective.
The woman had an outstanding dental bill she was making payments on, and a few other household expenses put on a credit card. The interest rates on these payments had gone up drastically over the past few months, making the payments much more difficult to keep up with. We would pay off these two debts for her to allow her budget to balance each month.
I asked questions about her car and felt it would benefit from a trip to our trusted car repair provider to make sure it was road worthy. With their recommendation we would also have new tires put on her car as they found they were in very poor condition. When I offered this car repair it brought an audible sigh of relief from the woman as she worried greatly about the upcoming road trip and having to drive through bad weather.
I asked if I could speak to the aunt and the woman was happy to allow me to add the aunt to our conference call. We discussed the aunt’s present state of health and her need for a lift chair. After a long discussion and finding out she was truly in need of the help her niece would provide, I knew we would provide this lift chair for her, along with the much-needed new bed. When I asked the women about other household items they would need — sheets, blankets, even clothing — they both admitted they would be struggling to get these items. When I told them we would be adding gift cards for food, household necessities, toiletries and the much-needed gas gift cards to help with the long drive to move the aunt, they both burst into tears.
These lovely women were overwhelmed by the assistance we would be providing. This life-changing help would take two lonely women from despair and worry to lives filled with companionship and caring for one another. I listened as the women tearfully shared their gratitude for all we were doing to turn their dream into a reality. Thank “You” and God Bless “You” for making so many dreams each year come true!
We are presently putting all donations towards matching The Family Foundation 2023 $40,000 Matching Grant. This grant will allow us to continue our poverty relief efforts in our communities. Thank you and the Family Foundation for your continued support of our good works!
Health & Happiness, Love & GOD Bless Everyone, Sal
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Judging by the looks of the Resorter covers in 2022, it was a great year for nature.
