Hope Amid Her Tears
When Linda P. arrived drenched at the Ironbound Emergency Shelter one rainy afternoon, she was almost in despair and ashamed of being homeless. Her tears flowed freely as she recounted her story. First, she was ordered to leave where she was living. She wound up at a rundown, pest-ridden shelter housing drug abusers so she knew she couldn’t stay there. Just as she was leaving to face a miserable night sleeping in a nearby park, a kind person told her about the IES, a shelter for women operated by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark. Once there, she immediately began an apartment search. Not only did she work diligently to find her own place, she also helped others with their searches, passing on any information she discovered that might be helpful. Three weeks after arriving at the IES, Ms. Linda moved into her own apartment. She still attends a Women’s Group once a week sharing her story and urging others to remain hopeful no matter how bleak their situations look.

Easing the Pain of Isolation
Coping with the physical deterioration that comes with age is tough. But doing it alone is horrible. That’s what confronted Adel, an 87-year-old woman who lives alone in a senior building. Her physical condition was worsening and she was sinking into depression. Her life improved significantly once a Certified Home Health Aide provided by Chrill Care, Inc. started visiting on weekdays. The aide helps Adel do all the little things that most of us take for granted each day. Due to the wrenching and unrelenting pain of osteoarthritis, Adel needs assistance dressing, bathing, cooking and handling all of life’s essential tasks. But the weekend is a long, lonely time for Adel. A donation to the Greater Newark Holiday Fund could provide weekend care and companionship for her.

A Kindly “Grandpa” Enriching Young Lives
He’s known as Grandpa David. A child couldn’t ask for a more caring, attentive grandparent. Soon after David joined the Newark Salvation Army’s Foster Grandparent Program, it became clear that he had a gift for working with children. As a licensed teacher with a college degree, David has much knowledge to share and he does it with grace and kindness. David has a special talent for working with disabled kids and he truly enjoys helping all the children, many of whom have no grandparents of their own. A Jersey City resident, David willingly travels -- sometimes taking two buses -- to reach volunteer destinations because he loves the kids and they love and need him.

This is a small sample of the many compelling stories to tell about people who have benefited from contributions to the Greater Newark Holiday Fund.