On a warm, rainy spring day, Dave, Anne and their three children walked into our Catholic Charities agency. Dave and Anne began to tell their story to a Catholic Charities case worker. Dave explained that his family was living out of their car as the result of an eviction. Dave lost his job when his son became ill as he had requested “too much time off from work” per his employer to help Anne take care of their son. In addition, all of the unexpected medical bills began to come in and they could no longer get by on Anne’s part-time income. When gas was needed for the car, Dave would pawn whatever possessions they had with them for cash. “We are struggling to survive,” Dave said as sat with his head in his hands.
Catholic Charities had to respond to their more immediate needs, as well as addressing their homelessness. One of the children was wearing a worn-out pair of flip-flops and a short rain jacket for a shirt. The Catholic Charities case worker was able to make temporary arrangements for the family to stay at a local motel. Catholic Charities also provided food and a voucher to a local retail store for some clothing.
Dave and Anne continued to work with Catholic Charities for the next several weeks and things started to look a little brighter for their family. The family moved into an apartment and Dave was able to find a job close to home. Catholic Charities continues to help the family from time to time with food and other basic needs. Dave and Anne feel more optimistic about their families’ future as they continue to work toward self-sufficiency with the help of their case worker.
