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Living in fear of homelessness, bill collectors

Editor's note: The Time is Now to Help was founded by a local businessman who knew extreme poverty as a child. With the help of donations from the community, The Time is Now is able to help local residents in need.

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Dear W.C.,

I know a family that is having a very hard time. I know they are late on their rent. They have two young children. The father lost his job last summer. The mother was hit by a hit-and-run driver and was left handicapped.

They do not receive enough assistance from disability and unemployment. Due to all the medical bills and threats from bill collectors, they have been left broke.

I have known this family for many years and know they are good people. They have always lived frugally and have a devout belief in God. They do not have gas for their car. I have offered to drive them on several occasions, but they have declined.

I think they are too embarrassed to accept any help. I do not know how they are feeding everyone and keeping a roof over their heads. Please help this deserving family.

— A worried friend

Dear readers,

I called the worried friend to find out more details. I obtained the phone number and address for the family that needed help and drove to the address.

It was a small rental home with a wheelchair ramp up to the front door. I knocked and when the father answered the door, he looked surprised, wondering who the stranger was on his doorstep.

I introduced myself and told him a friend of theirs was concerned for them. The father immediately became embarrassed and said he did not need any help.

I said, “Do not be too proud to let a neighbor reach out a helping hand to you and your family.”

He looked ashamed, but after some more conversation, he invited me inside. The wife came into the room in her wheelchair. I introduced myself and explained to her I was from The Time Is Now to Help.

The wife looked at me with tears in her eyes, telling her husband, “This is the organization our friend told me about. Please, we need to talk with him.”

I could see the husband was still too proud to ask for help. At that point, I looked at him and asked if I could please help his family. I assured him I was there to help them and their gifts from God, their children. With that, I could see his eyes fill with tears as he struggled to keep from crying.

The mother was suffering from the lifelong injuries caused from her accident. The stress of their present financial situation, the loss of her husband’s job and the constant fear of homelessness had taken a toll on her health.

The children came into the room next and it almost brought tears to my eyes to see them. They were old enough to understand their family was struggling in poverty. I could feel their stress for their family. The father seemed to read my mind and said he would be very grateful for any help. I could see him struggling to control his tears once again, not wanting the children to see him cry. I thanked God and stepped toward the father and gave him a hug.

I looked at the children and I could see they were very concerned and at the same time very accepting of my gesture. I saw the mother smile with gratitude for our concern.

I asked the father about his job loss. He told me he had worked for the same company for 14 years. The company closed due to the recession and all the jobs had been sent to China.

I asked to see their budget. I find that about 65 percent of families I help do have a handle on their finances, no matter how bleak they may be. I could see the bill collectors for the medical bills had scared them into giving them every penny beyond the bare minimum to survive. I redid their budget.

Together, thanks to all of your caring and sharing, we brought their utilities up to date and paid some into the future. Their rent was brought up to date. Their cupboards were filled, gas gift cards were supplied, and through our networking, the father has a new job.

I followed up with the new employer and was told the father is always on time and works very hard, as if he is driven by something. I know that drive is the love for his family and the fear of poverty.

I remember what it is like to live in poverty, as I watched my own mother struggle when I was a child. I know that the love for family and God’s creation and the painful memories of poverty really drives me to always work very hard.

Health and happiness, God bless everyone, W.C.

Please help: Make checks payable to: The Time Is Now to Help, P.O. Box 70, Pell Lake, WI 53157. The Time Is Now to Help is a federally recognized 501(c)3 charitable organization licensed in Wisconsin and Illinois. You will receive a tax-deductible, itemized, thank-you receipt showing exactly what every penny of your donation provided for the poverty stricken.

A very special thank you to: Michael and Sue Borden, William H. and Lois J. McEssy Foundation, Unilock, Lake Geneva Economic Development Corp., E2 Services, Bernard Labovitch, Kunes Country Ford-Lincoln-Mercury, Spiegelhoff & Associates, Martin O’Brien, Eye Physicians & Surgeons staff, John Warren and Deborah Lenchard, Muriel Lake, Mary Fitzgerald, Ron and Desiree Lipowski, Phil and Mary Koss, Stephen and Melissa Thorngate II, David and Mary Ann Zaremba, Sandralee Thiele, Gregory and Denise Giovannetti, Roger Borchardt, Lisa Kelley, Robert Erickson, J.T. Marty, David and Terri Kropetz, Patrick and Annaliesa Prohuska, Ron and Kerrie Vyskocil, Next Door Pub, Cynthia Borkhuis, David and Shirley Baumeister, Rebecca Pankow, Florence Merkin, Thelen Total Construction employees – Melody Fehling, Sue Williams, Marianne Hurlburt and Jim Gage, W.C. Family Resource Center/Food Pantry volunteers, and all the God-loving volunteers of all our food pantries, all of you who support The Time Is Now to Help donation boxes and the businesses that allow our donation boxes. Anyone who would like a Time Is Now donation box in your business, please call (262) 249-7000.

We desperately need cars Please consider donating a used car to help our fellow Americans get to work and other daily necessities.

Search the web with www.goodsearch.com and help to raise funds for The Time Is Now to Help. Just make www.goodsearch.com your homepage and pick The Time Is Now to Help as your charity.