Because we feel it is important that you know how and where your donations to Helping Hands are spent, here is what was done last week:

Electric                      7 families       $   2,532.89

Water                          1 family         $      178.34

Gas                             2 families       $      364.98

Rent                           26 families     $ 29,348.48

Total $ 32,424.69

This past week we helped a 47-year-old man who broke his ankle at work. Fortunately he does have insurance to cover his medical expenses. The break will require surgery and he was told he will be out of work anywhere from 4-6 months. He does qualify for disability and he has filed a claim for both short term and long term disability, however that process could take some time to be processed.  We were able to help him with is March rent, and we told him to call back if his disability has not kicked in in time for April.

We assisted a woman whose husband left her and her two daughters in December. She quickly found a job, but it is only part time. One of her children requires home schooling because of her asthma, so she is having some difficulty finding a second part time job to supplement the other one. Blessedly her rent is very affordable ($450/mo) but sometimes she struggles to pay it plus her utility bills and food (she has applied for food stamps but has not heard back yet). We assisted her with her March utility bills.

We assisted five people (mainly servers in restaurants) who lost a week of work last month due to businesses being closed due to winter storm Uri.  They were helped with their March rent. Four families were also helped with rent due to being quarantined after being exposed to, or coming down with, Covid.

A 65-year-old man was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma. He had surgery to remove the mass and has a visiting nurse seeing him weekly. His daughter told us that the cancer is untreatable but that treatment will be able to expand his life. He has applied for Social Security and Medicare online. We paid his January and February mortgage.

We are still seeing our helpline stabilize somewhat from the barrage of calls we were receiving one year ago when so many people lost their jobs. We hope and pray that things are finally looking up!

LIMITED RESIDENTIAL PICKUPS RESUME

We are now able to do limited residential pickups of large items/donations by prior appointment only. To request a pickup please send a complete set of pictured items to midlandhelpinghands@gmail.com.

Leave your name and phone number in the email and we will be in contact with you. Requests must be made via email only at that address.