Time is now to help
SAL DIMICELI
Dear W.C., I am writing on behalf of a disabled woman who is facing serious hardship. About 10 years ago she was struck by a car and left severely disabled. The young driver was unlicensed and uninsured, and she received no settlement. Since then, she has relied on limited government assistance and occasional help from family.
She is now living in housing that is heavily infested due to a neighboring apartment. Because she suffers from severe chemical and roach sensitivities that trigger asthma and breathing difficulties, this situation is both dangerous and humiliating for her. Despite repeated calls to the landlord, the problem has not been resolved.
Her only safe option is to move. Her adult daughter has found an apartment they can share, but due to the infestation she will have to leave nearly all her belongings behind and start over with only her wheelchair and the freshly washed clothing on her back.
Would your charity consider helping with a security deposit, two beds, and gift cards for clothing, bedding, towels, and basic household items?
Thank you for your continued compassion toward those in need.
Dear Readers, I called the woman who wrote requesting help for her dear friend and quickly understood the depth of the situation. Beyond the uncomfortable topic of pests were serious medical concerns and the reality of living on the edge of poverty. The disabled woman was suffering daily due to her asthma and breathing complications caused by an infestation that stemmed from a neighbor's hoarding and unsanitary living conditions.
She was helpless to save herself from the situation due to her limited income and painful disabilities. Her landlord's indifference only added to the distress. The caller was in tears, heartbroken over her friend's suffering and the lack of action to remedy the problem.
My next call was to the woman in need of a fresh start. Once she overcame her understandable embarrassment, we had an honest and heartfelt conversation. It became clear she truly needed a helping hand up.
Together we created a plan for her to move, taking only her wheelchair, medications, and only a few items of freshly laundered clothing her friend would carefully wash and seal in a plastic bag.
She had already discarded most of her belongings and had been living minimally for months in an effort to control her asthma and to try and make cleaning manageable.
Thanks to our assistance in providing new clothing, household items, bedding, and the much-needed security deposit and first month's rent, she is crying tears of relief and joy over now living with her daughter in a clean, pest free, safe environment. Her asthma has improved significantly and the improvements we have made in her life have filled her with gratitude.
Both she and her daughter are sleeping in new beds with fresh bedding and no longer dread getting into their beds at night. Thanks to all the precautions this woman made, and the help from her devoted friend and all of us, she has exchanged shame and suffering for relief and gratitude.
Thank you for helping us meet the Family Foundation 2026 $40,000 Matching Grant! We will soon share with you where every dollar was spent in providing poverty relief in our communities.
Together with all of "You" and the Family Foundation we are changing and saving lives. Thank you for being the hands and hearts that bring hope to those most in need in our communities.
Health & Happiness, Love & God Bless Everyone, Sal
Please help: There are many coming to us in desperation. Our good fellow creations need our compassion. Together we make a big difference.
Make checks payable to: The Time Is Now to Help, P.O. Box 1, Lake Geneva, WI 53147. The Time Is Now to Help is a federally recognized 501©3 charitable organization.
You will receive a tax deductible, itemized thank you receipt showing how 100% of your donation was used for providing poverty relief.
Please visit our website to read more of our past and current columns and/ or to make a donation: www.timeisnowtohelp.org Please go to the home page, follow the yellow highlighted link that says WC Letters to see current and past columns.
A very special thank you: Family Foundation, Wayne and Beverly Hilbelink, Kunes Family Foundation, Ziegler Charitable Foundation, Paul Ziegler, Dr. Mark and Cynthia Brower, Gerry and Kae Venema, William H. and Lois J. McEssy Foundation, Glenn and Diane Lemanczyk, A.G. Cox Charity Trust, Jeff Martin, Joan Thompson, Budget Blinds, John and Nancy Hoffman, Randall and Susan Hofberger, Lake Geneva Area Realty, Knights of Columbus Lake Geneva, James Sadler, Peter and Debbi Kroening, Kim and Nancy Holmgren, John McClellan, Lisa Ryan, Greg Johns, PayPal Giving Fund, Jenean Shreves, Jeanne Allen, Denise Hubbard, James and Anne Witt, John and Rita Race, Nancy Ferguson, Bryan and Dawn Mann, Bob and Millie McCormick, Steven and Gabrielle Thomas, George and Sandra Murphy, Willima and Jean Isaacson, Charles and Kathleen Heinz, Kathleen Pieters, Russ Perkins, Timothy and Margaret Kumbier, Doris Weichmann, all of our anonymous donors and all of you who support The Time Is Now to Help.
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