Share the Season helps grandmother who has health issues

Share the Season is an annual campaign that offers one-time aid to people affected by unforeseen hardships. The people are not identified to protect their privacy.

Over the past 12 months, this 63-year-old Wichita woman has had breast cancer and a knee replacement.

The good news is the cancer is in remission and her new knee is working just fine. She’s now better able to keep up with the two young grandchildren that she’s raising in her home.

But those health issues also put her out of work a total of five months, severely pushing her finances out of whack.

“I wasn’t sure what I was going to do,” she said. “I’ve never been in this position.”

Share the Season was able to help with overdue utility bills.

“That gives me breathing room,” she said. “I now have a chance to figure out what I’m going to do next. I’m so blessed. Prayers and my faith in God got me through this.”

In the past, she’s always been able to help others during the holidays.

“I couldn’t give much,” she said, “but I did what I could. It pains me that I can’t help out this year.

“Everyone has tough times. There are people out there hurting. I had a tough time, but other people are going through a lot worse. We all just have to help each other.”

Share the Season is a joint project of The Eagle, the Wichita Community Foundation and the Salvation Army.

So far this season, it has raised more than $106,056.

Send contributions to Share the Season at the Wichita Community Foundation, 301 N. Main, Suite 100, Wichita, KS 67202. To donate online, go to www.sharetheseason.org. If you have questions about donating, call 316-264-4880.

Donors will be listed in The Eagle; please note if you prefer to remain anonymous.

To apply for help, fill out an application atwww.sharetheseason.org or pick one up at the Salvation Army, 350 N. Market. The application deadline is Dec. 17. For more information, call 316-263-2769.

Among recent donors: Margot Breckbill; Wade and Donna Brodin; Alford Caro; The Clark and Sharon Bastian Donor Advised Fund at the Wichita Community Foundation; Classic Real Estate Inc. in memory of Robert Razook; Lee Dillard; Ronald and Judy Fiegel, in honor of F.F. Hiegert; John and Linda Finn; First Christian Missionary Fund; Paul and Bernadette Frank.

Stan Harrison; David and Marilyn Hitchcock; Randy and Leslie Leroux, in memory of Rita Leroux; Robert and Barbara Loop, in memory of Mary Lou Stuever-Heise; Errol and Suzanne Luginbill, in memory of Michael Carter Davis; Richard and Mary Marko; Judy Meridith; James Nuss; Sydney O’Donnell, in memory of Dalton Palmer; Clark Owens; Keith and Deirdre O’Farrell Pickus; Donald and Karen Prockish.

Alex and Aaliyah Wise, in memory of our great-grandparents, Orville and Phyllis Wise; Paul and Cecile Seward, in memory of Celine Seward; Melvin Srader; Beverly Steiner; James and Jane Taylor; Bruce and Maxine Wells; Wichita A’s Model A Ford Club; Pete and Jacquelyne Williams; Mark Woodard; Doug and Jenine Wright; anonymous, in memory of Harold and Aldine Johnson; anonymous, in memory of Kenneth Harshfield; anonymous, in memory of Miriam Macera; and nine anonymous donors.

This story was originally published December 7, 2016 at 6:17 PM with the headline "Share the Season helps grandmother who has health issues."