Share the Season: Couple gets help with medical bills, food

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.

This husband and wife both have cancer and other health problems. They say they must regularly choose between buying medications or food.

“I can only buy small amounts of food,” the 59-year-old woman wrote in her application to Share the Season.

Share the Season recently provided assistance to pay some of the medical bills and stock up on food.

“It helped a whole lot,” the 70-year-old husband said by phone while standing in line to check out at a grocery store. “You don’t know how much.”

Both are retired and living on disability. She had to quit working about eight years ago because of health problems.

They also try to help their 28-year-old son, who is unable to work because of injuries.

“We have to keep enough money to pay for gas so we can get to our (doctor) appointments,” she wrote.

Her husband is also diabetic and requires a special diet.

“It’s still going to be a struggle,” he 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 $204,477.

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.

Among recent donors: Marvin and Connie Angleton, in memory of Virgil Angleton Jr.; Ariagno, Kerns, Mank and White LLC; Michael and Sonja Armbruster; George and Debbie Barnes, in memory of Cheryl Ward (Barnes); Beverly Cook; Jack and Louise Hall, in memory of James Olberding; Devin and Lisa Hansen; Cathryn Hay, in honor of Nurse Matt at Wesley ICU; W.M. and S.K. Herrington; Bonnie Bing and Richard Honeyman; Mark and Hennie Janzen; Gary and Tammie Johnson; Paulenia Jones, in memory of Joyce Tate; Steven and Kylie Mank, in honor of Kylie and Mason Mank; Larry and Norma Peak, in memory Elaine Nigh and Jacki Harvey; Textron Aviation; Don and Karen Wells, in honor of Dale Wells, Cody and Robin Wray; anonymous, in memory of Jim and Audrey Debano; anonymous, in memory of Harold and Edith Bowling; and seven anonymous donors.

This story was originally published December 23, 2015 at 4:29 PM with the headline "Share the Season: Couple gets help with medical bills, food."