Woman seeks job after injury, layoff

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.

The 46-year-old mother is looking for a job.

She was laid off work from a Wichita aircraft plant two months ago. She and her husband are struggling to pay bills.

He is a Stage 2 diabetic and limited in how much work he can do.

“I was unable to work the whole summer because of a back injury and now the bills have become more than we can handle and with the eviction that we just got it is hard to find housing,” the woman wrote on her application for Share the Season. “It is getting harder by the day, we must have a car to get back and forth to his job and for me to look for a job and of course utilities in order to care for our child and for ourselves.”

They know there will be no Christmas presents to give or exchange this year with their 14-year-old daughter. They were two days away from being homeless when they applied and Share the Season responded.

The organization was able to help the family get caught up on their utilities, allowing them to make a down payment on another apartment.

“We have a roof over our heads and it has given me time to look for help,” the mother said. “If we could just get a running start we would be fine in the future but we are unable to catch a break. Living paycheck to paycheck doesn’t allow for any type of failures and we are truly trying but sometimes life will deal you a hand you didn’t expect.”

She is grateful for the help from Share the Season.

“They were there to help,” she said. “I pray that I will be in a position in the future to help donate back.”

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 $124,744.

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 at www.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.

This story was originally published December 9, 2016 at 5:37 PM with the headline "Woman seeks job after injury, layoff."