Share the Season steps in to help family after layoffs

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 49-year-old grandmother says 2016 has been such a bad year, she doesn’t know where to begin her story.

In some ways, it really started in 2015 when her father died from prostate cancer – and she was left paying for his funeral expenses. Then, this summer, both her husband and her son were laid off from their jobs.

She is a cook at a retirement center and was suddenly paying the bills for her entire household.

“I have never in my life had anything like this,” she said. “When stuff happens, it is so much. It hit hard.”

It was hard to think about going through the holiday season. She has five grandchildren and feels responsible for them having a good Christmas.

She heard about Share the Season and applied.

“A friend told me and it is amazing,” she said. “A woman interviewed me and it all seemed so unreal. That is how I know this is all from God. He is always on time. You guys don’t know how you all touch people in the midst of a crisis. You lifted such a big weight off of me.”

Share the Season helped the family catch up on bills.

“It has been a struggle the past two years but the good outweighs the bad,” she said. “I have to say that God has got all you workers there – just keep us in your prayers.”

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 10, 2016 at 4:48 PM with the headline "Share the Season steps in to help family after layoffs."