Mom on maternity leave receives relief with bills | Share the Season
Share the Season is an annual campaign designed to financially assist Wichitans in need. The people are not identified to protect their privacy.
With a fourth child on the way, this mother thought she was prepared to handle her expenses. She had saved money and planned to stay at home with her newborn for a short period of time.
But when her newborn arrived, she ended up being on maternity leave for almost two months. The unexpected duration away from work was enough to put her behind on car insurance payments and utility bills. She was also left with looking for a new job, which heightened her worries. With her savings quickly depleting and no income, she felt the financial strain weighing down on her.
That’s when she turned to The Salvation Army to call about the resources they offered and was directed to Share the Season.
“I planned as much as I could, but I was on unpaid leave for seven weeks and have fallen behind on bills,” she wrote in her application to Share the Season. In the meantime, she setup payment agreements in hopes of eventually catching up to her bills. “Having this help would allow my children to stay in their own home.”
Share the Season responded by paying her car insurance and utility bills. The assistance gave this 23-year-old single mother a chance to climb out of past due expenses.
“I really went in to see if they could cover my electric bill, but (Share the Season) ended up paying for more,” she said. She was surprised to know that the program covered more than one bill.
This is one of the 136 cases accepted by Share the Season last year. The program is a joint project of the Wichita Community Foundation, The Salvation Army, and The Wichita Eagle to aid numerous Wichita area residents who are facing financial hardships during the holiday season. Last year, 715 donors contributed $202,000 to Share the Season.
“Share the Season is ongoing proof from the community of how charitable our people are, and how they are interested in helping the others,” said Shelly Prichard, president and CEO of the Wichita Community Foundation. “Every gift, no matter the size, makes a difference in this program.”
Share the Season, now in its 21st year, has impacted the family beyond assistance with their bills. The mother pursued her dream of becoming a certified nurse aide and was able to enroll in a program. The flexible course allowed her to take classes at night or online while she looked after her kids during the day. She says the program “helped in taking stress off bills and focus more on school.” Soon after receiving her CNA license, she found work at an assisted living facility.
In addition, the mother was able to provide some stability at Christmas for her four children, ranging from five-months to seven-years-old. “We were able to stay in our home and not worry about our electricity or water being shut off,” she said.
“I would like to say thank you,” said the mother. “Even if it was a $5 donation, it does add up and it did help me.”
HOW TO GET HELP
To apply for assistance, visit www.sharetheseason.org or The Salvation Army Headquarters, 350 N. Market. The application deadline is noon, Jan. 17, 2021. For more information, call 316-263-2769.
HOW TO GIVE HELP
Send contributions to Share the Season at the Wichita Community Foundation, 301 N. Main, Suite 100, Wichita, KS 67202. To donate online, visit www.sharetheseason.org. If you have questions about donating, call 316-264-4880.
Donors will be listed in the final Share the Season New Year’s Day advertisement in The Wichita Eagle. Please contact the Wichita Community Foundation if you prefer for your donation to remain anonymous.