Mother needed help after abusive marriage, surgery

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 35-year-old mother’s story starts with an abusive, violent husband and a hope for a better life.

She summoned the courage to divorce him and move away, intending to start over with her teenage daughter.

But she lost her job – and money needed to pay bills and survive – after she twisted an ankle, tore a ligament and had to have surgery.

“I recently was released from my doctors and have been looking for a job, but to no avail,” she said. “There is a good possibility coming up, but we have been struggling since the surgery.”

She learned about Share the Season from a Facebook post and applied.

The organization was able to pay utility and other monthly bills.

“This allowed us to catch up on the bills so we don’t have anything shut off,” she said. “I don’t want my daughter to go through that. She is too young to deal with her mother’s struggles.”

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 11, 2016 at 5:29 PM with the headline "Mother needed help after abusive marriage, surgery."