Share the Season helps dad get back on track after job loss
Share the Season is an annual campaign designed to financially assist Wichitans in need. The people are not identified to protect their privacy.
Roberto is a skilled worker. His many years of hard work and dedication to a job well done rewarded him with the security that comes from earning a steady income. His life was on track.
Unfortunately, this year his path was interrupted. He was laid off. He searched for a job and found one, but not before he had been unemployed for two months. While that may seem like a short time to be without income, for some it makes a huge difference.
Roberto’s daughter, now a college student, had recently moved back in with him. She dreams of becoming a veterinarian or maybe joining the Air Force in a few years. Like all supportive fathers, Roberto doesn’t mind what she decides to do. He just wants to make sure she has a comfortable home and that she gets a good education.
Before he was laid off, Roberto traveled back and forth between his home in Wichita and his job in Hutchinson. The long commute had taken its toll on his vehicle and the soaring fuel prices cut into his budget. In addition, Roberto had a past-due balance with his utility company.
Roberto had to prioritize. He decided that even though his car needed repair or replacement, it would have to wait. To avoid utility service disruption, he agreed to a 12-month, average payment plan. The plan would divide his past-due balance into 12 equal monthly installments that would be added to his current monthly charge. It turned out that the monthly total was just too high to manage. He needed help.
Roberto contacted The Salvation Army. He applied for assistance through the Share the Season program, which offers one-time help to people experiencing unexpected hardship like job loss or medical challenges. On his application, he wrote, “This gift would be a first time for me. It would help out tremendously and help us get back on track.”
The program did just that. It helped Roberto support his daughter and her dreams, keep his new job, manage an overwhelming utility services balance and get his life moving forward again.
How to get help
Share the Season, now in its 22nd year, is a partnership between The Wichita Eagle and The Salvation Army. To apply for assistance, visit www.sharetheseason.org or come in person to The Salvation Army, 350 N. Market, in downtown Wichita. The application deadline is noon Jan. 16. For more information, call (316) 263-2769.
How to give help
Send contributions to The Salvation Army, Share the Season, 350 N. Market, Wichita, KS 67202. To donate online, visit www.sharetheseason.org. If you have any questions about donating, call (316) 425-6156.