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Rescued: A Marriage and a Family
When Mr. and Mrs. W said they were depressed and having marital troubles, it didn't take long for the social worker at Jewish Family Service of MetroWest to start piecing together why. They told her they'd both recently lost their jobs. Special care for their youngest son, who is autistic, was no longer within their means. And their 8-year-old daughter was starting to act out in response to her parents' constant frustration. As if they didn't have enough stress, the couple said the upcoming holidays were adding to their depression, since they knew they wouldn't be able to afford their usual celebrations. With help from Jewish Family Service of MetroWest, the family is getting much-needed help in handling their stress and improving their relationships
Helping a Mom Help Herself
Crystal was job hunting for months. With no work or family support, she made do by living with her best friend, leaving her 2-year-old daughter in the care of a neighbor when she went on job interviews. Finally, Crystal got a break: She was offered work as a bank teller. But her celebratory mood was short-lived. The neighbor could baby-sit now and again, but Crystal knew she would need steady child care to take the job and become self-sufficient. She knew of several day care programs with openings, but lacked money for tuition. The Urban League of Essex County came to Crystal's aid, covering one month of tuition so she could launch her new career.
Health, Financial Problems Under Control
Marisol, 9, had such bad asthma she often couldn't leave the house. Her brother Eduard, 11, had colitis, while their mom, Theresa, had diabetes. As a result, the family's medical costs were staggering -- made worse when the children's father disappeared, leaving many unpaid bills in his wake. Meanwhile, they were behind on their rent, and their utility bills carried a balance of $3,000. Although the family could have earned more on public assistance, Theresa refused to accept welfare, choosing to keep her low-paying job instead. But as her family began skipping meals, Theresa knew she needed help. Through the Youth Consultation Service's Children's Home-Based Intervention Program, Theresa and her children have learned to navigate the bureaucracies that govern their health costs, and managed to get their bills under control. The agency even discovered they were being overcharged for utilities. Support from the Greater Newark Holiday Fund will allow the agency to go one step further: providing the family with holiday gifts.
Home for the Holidays
No matter what Anna said, the utility company wouldn’t turn her power back on. Not after she explained she had lost everything when a fire ripped through her store, which wasn’t insured, throwing her family into deep financial hardship. Not after she told them friends and relatives had started a collection to help her family get the power back on, raising almost enough, but not quite. The company didn’t budge when Anna explained she, her husband and their four young children have had to scatter each night to sleep in the homes of friends and family, unable to stay together at their own house. Then Catholic Charities stepped in. The agency convinced the utility company to take Anna’s partial payment, supplementing it with a contribution of their own. Thanks to their help, Anna and her family can return to their home in time for the holidays.
Building a Future
Briana is the enthusiastic, curious sort of toddler who never wants to go to bed. While her energy delights her preschool teachers at the Urban League of Essex County, it's a problem for her mother, Lisa. A single mom at 19, Lisa lives with a sister while attending cosmetology school during the day. But Lisa can't study until her child goes to bed, and by then she's too exhausted to study. While she struggles to keep up with her class work, Lisa is also buckling under the weight of her financial responsibilities, including her part of the rent, child care and the cost of her own classes -- without which she worries she will never be able to provide for her child on her own. Lisa got relief when a family worker at Briana's preschool helped her secure emergency financial assistance. This eased her mind by covering Briana's child-care costs.
Ready for Independence
Other 18-year-olds want independence from their parents. Jerome wants a break with his past as a foster child. But none of his foster families ever talked to him about money management. None helped him develop job skills. He’d lived in many different homes, but never learned to keep one. Aging out of foster care wouldn’t leave him independent. Just alone. Thanks to the Family Service Bureau of Newark, aided by the Greater Newark Holiday Fund, Jerome is not alone. Through the program, Jerome has been connected with resources, has received bus tickets and food, and has gained help finding a residential facility that will help him make the transition to life as an adult.
Healthcare Crisis Averted
Trouble started last year when this suburban mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her medical bills were staggering, as was the emotional strain on her husband and two children. And just when the family was coming to terms with her illness, her husband lost his job. With the job went their only source of income and health insurance. His 15 years of management experience have not yet attracted any other employers. Lately, the couple's 12-year-old daughter has been asking to quit school so she can care for her mother. Their 17-year-old son has been working after school and on weekends to help support the family, but at the cost of his grades and long-term goals. The family needs help and is finding it through Jewish Family Service of MetroWest, which provided supermarket gift cards and referrals to appropriate resources. Now the agency is hoping to bring this family some joy during the holidays
Family Finds Friends
Tommy had a rough time in his parents' home. Now he and his sister live with their grandfather, shielded from the daily trials brought on by their parents' alcoholism. Still, the 9-year-old is struggling. He misses his parents, whom he rarely sees. Although by nature he is bright and sweet, his behavior has become a problem. Meanwhile, his grandfather never planned to raise two young children as a senior citizen and is financially unprepared to provide for them. For help, Tommy's grandfather turned to the Nutley Family Service Bureau, a local organization dedicated to supporting families under stress. Now, as the agency continues working with Tommy on his behavioral issues, its staff wants to help the child have a special holiday by arranging a visit with his parents and the purchase of holiday gifts.
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