Newsletter: April 2023
Dear Friends of Joseph House:
As you know from reading our monthly Newsletter, we attend to many people who come to the Joseph House Crisis Center. Sometimes people travel a considerable distance because they’re desperate and afraid of losing their housing or having their utilities turned off. But not everyone is able to come to us: we must go to them. It’s an important part of our mission to go out into the community and visit the homebound and those who have ongoing critical needs. We want to share their joys and sorrows and do any act of service to make their lives easier. We call this our Good Neighbor program, and Sr. Virginia has kindly written the following to tell you more about it:
When people come to the Joseph House Crisis Center for financial help, we interview them and, if they qualify (which is almost always), we contribute toward their overdue bill, usually rent or utilities. If their debt is much larger than our contribution, we hold the check until we can be sure that they will not be evicted or their utilities cut off.
However, some people who come to us have overwhelming challenges that call for something more. Often, they are elderly with multiple financial, medical and other issues, especially isolation and loneliness.
These are the “widows and orphans” whom we are given to care for by Christ. Through our Good Neighbor program, we work to find them safe places to live if necessary, to provide them with adequate healthy food, and to help them get in touch with the people and resources they need.
Our sisters regularly pay them visits to check on their progress and meet their immediate needs, as well as encourage them and pray with them.
Some examples from the past:
An elderly widower was crippled with arthritis, living in a tiny, cluttered house with his working daughter and two grandchildren. One of our sisters came weekly to bathe him and do some housecleaning. One day the nine-year-old granddaughter, who had come home from school and sat down to play videogames, suddenly turned to Sister, smiled and said, “That is really nice, what you do for him.”
An elderly widow came to the Joseph House with serious chronic health problems, including cataracts, dental deterioration and cardiac disease; she also was burdened with an abusive son who regularly demanded money from her. One of our sisters was able to get her the medical care she needed, as well as help with housekeeping and even dog walking.
Some we are helping now:
An immigrant family is waiting for their asylum appointment scheduled for 2024. They came to Joseph House in need of food, housing and work. Sister found a bike for the husband so he could get to his job, and is working with an immigration advocate to expedite the asylum process.
Another widow, who is deaf, went into debt when her husband died suddenly, and is facing living costs she can no longer afford. She needs a car as theirs was repossessed when she could no longer make the high payments. Sister is now helping with her special needs and searching for subsidized housing.
An elderly woman recently went into a nursing home, where she will probably be for the rest of her life. She has a troubled grown son who is given to seizures. He is also unemployed and struggling to pay the bills, including the lot rent on their trailer. Sisters are visiting her in the nursing home and helping her son find employment and get the medical care he needs to sustain it.
A longtime volunteer had become temporarily homeless, developed severe back pain and needed care while he waited for an operation. Sisters were able to provide meals and a place to stay until he was able to recover and find housing.
Sisters also visit a number of faithful volunteers and old friends who are becoming frail, some of them homebound.
The caseload at the Crisis Center never lets up, but thanks to your support, our wonderful volunteers, and the grace of God we are able to keep pace with the requests for help. Please meet some of our recent visitors:
Sylvia, 42, lives with her mother. Sylvia has not been able to work for several months because she is being treated for cancer, first chemotherapy and now surgery. Her mother’s Social Security is the only income they have, and it’s not enough to cover the basic expenses of rent, utilities, and food. We contributed $400 toward their back rent to help them avoid being evicted.
Monique, 32, was arrested two years ago for a drug offense. She was sentenced to rehab instead of being incarcerated. Monique is faithfully participating in her recovery program and is also working. She needs to have extensive dental work that she cannot afford: a root canal and a crown. We made a payment of $225 toward the cost.
Isaac is 70 years old and was homeless, living outside and spending his days walking around. A mental health organization found him an apartment. Isaac receives a disability check, but it didn’t cover both the first month’s rent and the security deposit. We paid $350 to the landlord so Isaac could move in and get off the street.
Flora is a lovely young lady who is going through a hard time. She was distraught and overwhelmed and was crying when she came to the Crisis Center. Flora quit her retail job because she couldn’t take the pressure anymore from her boss. She has a son, but her former mother-in-law has custody. One of our volunteers spent time with Flora and helped her calm down. She is applying for disability (for mental health issues) and we agreed to pay her back rent of $387.
A woman came to the Joseph House recently and handed one of our sisters a hundred dollars in cash. She said, “Joseph House helped me so much, and now I want to give something.” She then threw her arms wide open and exclaimed, “I feel so good!”
We can’t think of a better way to show the value of your support. It helps people get through a crisis, but it does more than that, it gives them new life. We were happy to receive our friend’s gift, and even happier to witness her exuberant spirit and the sense of empowerment it revealed. That is always a sure sign that someone’s journey has reached a turning point, when he or she feels ready to give back.
We see good things happening all the time at the Joseph House. Thank you for helping to make them possible. May you have a happy Easter. Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
Your Little Sisters of Jesus and Mary
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