Share the Season: Single mom needed help after temporarily losing second job

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.

Paying her bills on time has always been a top priority for this 29-year-old single mother of three.

But she lost one of her two jobs when complications from a Caesarean delivery prevented her from returning to work within the two weeks of maternity leave allowed by her employer, she said.

That put her behind on utility bills. Share the Season was able to help her get caught up.

“That helped me so much, especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas,” she said. “I was a very stressed mom.”

Two months after the C-section, she returned to work at her second job as a home health aide. But her hours had been cut to 15 to 20 per week.

“That’s not enough,” she said, “so I’m looking for something with more hours.”

Her children’s father had been helping her financially, but he lost his feet in an accident and wasn’t able to continue with his lawn service business.

“My mom has helped me some,” she said, “but she has her own bills. I want to keep up on what I owe, so it’s important I find something that pays more.”

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 $61,000.

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. 20. For more information, call 316-263-2769.

This story was originally published November 30, 2015 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Share the Season: Single mom needed help after temporarily losing second job."