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7 selections of fresh vegetables
6 selections of
fresh fruits
7 varieties of
frozen meats
5 bags of
non-perishables
1 bag of paper
products and personal care items
Gifts from a Secret Pal
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As we grow older we inevitably start to lose
people who are close to us. Our best friends and closest family members may
pass on or move far away from us, leaving us alone. On top of the emotional
pain caused by losing a loved one, death often brings on additional
responsibility. We feel touched to be able to honor our loved ones by taking
on their role in life, but our own lives are already so full that we’re not
sure how we can manage. Such is the life of 73 year old Carl and his wife
Mary. At an age when many of their peers are enjoying a life with less
obligations, where they can look back on their many accomplishments and
reminisce, Carl and Mary still have as many responsibilities as ever. That
is why we are truly thankful for your support of Carl these past years. It
has been a full year since we updated you on them so we thought we’d let you
know how they are doing.
Carl and Mary have been
married for over 40 years and enjoyed living in their own house until they
were forced to move because of financial problems. Their monetary woes
started when Carl fell and hurt his shoulder, forcing him to quit his job at
Sears. His health continued to deteriorate and he became unable to work
altogether. Carl is a very proud and hard-working man, and you can imagine
that this came as quite a blow to him! He also suffers from problems with
his lung which cause him severe shortness of breath. As Mary said last time
we called her “he gets winded just walking from here to the car!” Mary would
love to be able to do more to help him but she has her own medical problems,
including severe arthritis which makes it difficult for her to walk. She
often requires a wheelchair to move around. As you know, she fortunately won
her bout with cancer a few years ago, but she has never fully recovered from
what it did to her body.
You also know about how
Carl and Mary tragically lost their daughter in 1999 which meant that they
were given custody of their two grandchildren, now 17 years old and 3 years
old, respectively. This put quite an added emotional and financial burden on
them. On an income of only $975 for all four of them you can surely
understand the stressful situation they are in day to day, especially with
their monthly rent of $850! They found themselves with two more mouths to
feed and now needed to save money to buy them clothes and school supplies.
It is difficult for Carl and Mary to give them the life any grandparents
would want to give their grandchildren with so few resources to draw on.
Many months they have had to make hard decisions between buying food or much
needed medication to control the pain that both of them suffer from. They
have moved several times trying to find an apartment that is affordable and
that does not have too many stairs.
Since they were
referred to HSP they have been able to rely on receiving a monthly delivery
of groceries, with nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables and frozen meat,
as well as non-perishables, to fill their pantry. Now they say they don’t
know how they would manage without it. They also enjoy receiving little
gifts every month from their secret pal and they are relieved to know that
they can call on HSP if they have particular needs. We have also been able
to get them new eyeglasses through the Gift of Sight program at Lenscrafters.
We feel truly fortunate to have been connected with them. By offering our
love and support to Carl and Mary we are not only supporting them, but their
grandchildren as well. We are so thankful that you have made it possible for
us to ease the suffering of this family. Together we can be their guardian
through their tough times.
Things to Remember about Mary & Carl:
• Mary’s birthday is October 4th, 1930
• Carl’s birthday is July 12, 1931
• Their monthly income is $975 and their rent is $850
They live in Addison
Their favorite foods are steak and sharp cheddar cheese
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