Share the Season: Mother struggles to pay bills, catch up on rent after husband’s death
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.
Two years ago, the 36-year-old mother quit working in order to care for her dying husband.
He had been diagnosed with a rare form of throat cancer. She eventually put him in a care facility so she could go back to work.
He died in 2013. Not long after his death, her paychecks were garnished to pay medical bills.
The family temporarily went on welfare assistance.
Utilities were shut off. The mother fell behind in rent payments, and the family car was repossessed. She applied for bankruptcy.
“The garnishments finally stopped two weeks ago, but I have been struggling to get caught up,” the mother said.
During the cold spell a few weeks ago, the mother and her two children went to a family member’s home rather than stay in their unheated apartment. And they faced eviction from that apartment.
The woman read about Share the Season beginning its holiday season and applied for help.
The organization helped pay her utilities, which allowed her to begin paying her back rent.
“Paying the electric bill was a blessing,” she said.
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 $86,760.
Send contributions to Share the Season at the Wichita Community Foundation, 301 N. Main, Suite 100, Wichita, KS 67202. If you have questions, call 316-264-4880.
To donate online, go to www.sharetheseason.org.
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 midnight Dec. 19. For more information, call 316-263-2769.
Among recent donors: Darrell and Judy Baker; James and Susie Brewer; Wade and Donna Brodin; Gregory and Patricia Brown; Garret and Kris Burkhardt; Kevin and Kimberly Coe; John and Phyllis Connelly; Ruby Dawson; Darrel and Eunice Doerksen; Lorrie Donham; David and Tammy Doyel; Barbara Eberle; Barbara Finney; Anna Flynn; Peggy Gilchrist; Hugh and Patricia Harding; Jack and Nyla Hobbs.
Corinne Jervis; Richard Johnson; Wayne and Rosalie Klocke; Paul and Janet Malcom; Richard and Mary Marko; Charles and Guyetta Martin; Gloria and Roger Martin; Errolene McClintick; Jonathan and Margaret Olsen; Curtis and Mary Peck; Betty Regier.
Douglas and Pauline Sharp; Suzanne Shields; Steve Sigley; Wayne and Debra Stout; Tom and Vicki Tanner; The Seekers-FUMC; Robert and Elaine Todd; Tom and Ruth Wells; Mark Woodard; Dwain and Peggy Yearout; and five anonymous donors.
This story was originally published December 2, 2014 at 5:14 PM with the headline "Share the Season: Mother struggles to pay bills, catch up on rent after husband’s death."