Jan 26, 2017
Story #1
One morning a family came in inquiring about food and what all they needed to do to sign up for assistance. The director and volunteer worked with them and got them signed up to receive food on a monthly basis. As the family turned to go sit down while their food was being prepared their son asked, “Mommy, are we really going to get to eat tonight?” It was sad to hear the child ask that question. In today’s environment its hard to believe families go without food but we see it quite often. The funding we receive helps to eliminate hunger in our community and provide families in need with food so that children do not have to worry about when they will get to eat again.
Story #2
One morning a family we had been providing food to came in needing mortgage assistance. Both the husband and wife were disabled and as their medical conditions deteriorated and their medical costs increased they became unable to pay their mortgage. They asked if there was any way we could help them with their current situation. We were able to pay their mortgage and relieve the stress they were facing. They were so appreciative and as they left you could tell their stress level had really decreased.
Jan 20, 2017
Renee has been homeless for most of her life. In the last few years, however, she has been living in her own apartment, recovering from her addictions, and pursuing a growing relationship with Christ. OurCalling has been privileged to walk with Renee through these phases of change. Though transformation has not been easy, and Renee still wrestles with hang-ups and hurts from her past, OurCalling continues to be her place of safety and encouragement. Renee meets with mentor women from OurCalling on a regular basis who function as her “big sisters,” providing her with a model for healthy relationships. We love that Renee freely chooses to embrace these friends, and that she remains open to ongoing growth.
Phidias is a middle-aged man whose life has been marked by addiction, prison, and shattered family relationships. He walked into OurCalling this summer and quickly joined our Discipleship Service Team. While working alongside the rest of the team and serving his fellow peers, Phidias has found at time of sobriety from his addiction and a sense of belonging that he has never known before. Phidias’ confidence and joy have been evident to everyone on the OC team. He recently broke down in tears and proclaimed in a team meeting: “At OurCalling, I have found a family.”
Jan 18, 2017
Elena sat in the intake room answering survey questions. When asked if any of her children had to reduce the amount of food they ate or skip a meal because there wasn’t enough food at home in the last thirty days, she answered “yes.” Further questions revealed that her family often misses multiple meals each week. Although her husband works, he just doesn’t earn enough to provide for food, rent, and other necessary expenses for the couple and their two young children. These parents are forced to choose between paying their bills or skipping meals while encouraging their kids to be sure to eat breakfast and lunch at school. By coming to Crossroads, Elena can choose wholesome foods to feed her children and still pay bills.
Danny presented his rent receipt as proof of residence and commented that it was so nice to be paying rent again. This was his first visit to Crossroads for food, and he shared with great joy that he was finally living in an apartment, after being on the street for six years. But his check was not enough to pay the rent, utility bills, and buy food for the month. Rather than choose between buying food and keeping his home, Danny chose to visit Crossroads where he not only received groceries but also had an opportunity to pick out free gently used clothing to begin building a wardrobe and filling the closet in his new apartment.
Tommie has faithfully volunteered at one of Crossroads’ Community Distribution Partner sites for years. She coordinates food delivery to 17 low-income households headed by senior citizens, many of whom care for their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Without the food from Crossroads, delivered to their home by Tommie and her team, some days, these seniors with limited mobility would have to choose between eating less or nothing at all, or navigating public transportation, sometimes with kids in tow, to a local pantry, only to receive the small amount she or he is able to carry home.
Jan 17, 2017
Read multiple client testimonies and stories of hope, thanks to Cedar Hill Shares.
“I came to the Food Pantry because I did not know how or what I was going to feed my babies that night. Thanks to the pantry my three babies went to bed full and happy.”
“I want you to know I really appreciate everything the Pantry does for me, and may I say, “God Bless You”.
“I am a 76 year old grandmother raising my grandchildren. I couldn’t make ends meet and could not provide food for my grandchildren even though I received food stamps. I heard about the Food Pantry, applied and I am so thankful to Ms. Gene and all of them – I could not have fed my grandchildren had it not been for the Cedar Hill Shares.”
“I am so grateful for the Food Pantry. I am a senior citizen, a disabled widower living alone on a fixed income. The Pantry provides me with fresh fruit and produce to help me live a productive life style.”
“First, I want to say thank you Cedar Hill Shares for all the help and support they have given us. My husband has been battling epilepsy for the past several years – there are times when he is unable to work – leaving us with no income. We prayed and asked the Lord to provide a way. He did just that – we discovered the Food Pantry.”
“I am a single senior citizen living on a small Social Security income. A lot of days I would have nothing to eat after I paid bills. If it had not been for Cedar Hill Shares Food Pantry I couldn’t make it. The kind of food I receive is nourishing and good. Everyone is so friendly and kind.”
“I would like to thank the Food Pantry for the kind of service they have rendered myself and my family in our times of need. God bless all those who volunteer there.”
“In 2003 I was involved in an accident which limited my ability to work. I was hit from behind and subsequently had a brain stroke. I don’t know what I would do without the Pantry, but I do know that I can see God’s hand in the experiences I now have at the Cedar Hill Shares Food Pantry.”
“Today I received a 100% blessing – Cedar Hill SharesFood Pantry paid my TXY bill – a greater blessing is I learned about the services at the Pantry and I am now applying to become a client for regular food” – truly a blessing.”
Jan 16, 2017
Willie
Willie has a history of commitment to people, to work, and to his country. When he left the Army in 1987, he had served for 12 years. He married and had five children, four of whom eventually joined the military. He also had struggles. By the time had was 35, he’d had 3 strokes and a heart attack, all related, he says, to his addiction to crack cocaine. He divorced. He had problems with work related to his addiction. He says he finally hit bottom, which was what he needed to make the changes necessary to get sober. Although he has been clean of drugs for 5 years now, he ended up homeless after the combination of some poor financial decisions and the end of a relationship. Willie obtained a job soon after arriving at Austin Street Center and has been working 5-6 days a week at a car wash, saving his money and working towards getting a place of his own again. That day is happening soon! He praises his Austin Street Center Case Manager who has helped with connections, resources, paperwork, locating support groups available outside of his work hours, and transportation, and he adds, “Case Managers here really are concerned about people.”
Lenora
“There is a rainbow, a beautiful ray of sunshine, at the end of this.” These are words spoken by Austin Street Resident Lenora as she talks about life as a woman experiencing homelessness. Married for seventeen years, and currently separated from her husband, she recalls, “I had a job. I paid the bills. I was the one who took care of everything.” She has hobbies that she greatly misses. “I love to refurbish furniture. I love to plant. I love Home Depot.”
On a bus recently, Lenora heard several other passengers make remarks as the bus passed people who appeared to be homeless. Lenora asked them, “What does homelessness look like?” After a bit of discussion with her fellow passengers, she told them that she is homeless—and they were stunned.
Lenora says, “I’ve fallen, but I’m not going to lay there. I just need a hand up. Do I cry about it? Yes. Do I talk with a counselor about it? Yes.” She meets with her case manager regularly, has updated her resume, and meets with Texas Workforce Commission while she looks for work. She finds comfort in writing, and in offering encouragement to other residents of Austin Street.
Lenora finds it difficult to talk about her loved ones. She mentions that is was tough growing up with a mom diagnosed with schizophrenia. She has a daughter who lives in a suburb of Dallas, but neither has transportation to visit the other. With tears in her eyes, Lenora says that she has grandchildren she hasn’t seen in more than a year.
Austin Street Center exists so that Lenora and others like her can live in safety and receive the help they need to move toward the “beautiful ray of sunshine” at the end of their homeless experience.
Jerry
For Jerry, the road of mental illness and homelessness has been a long-traveled one. When discharged from the Army in 1975, he was already showing symptoms of what was eventually diagnosed as schizophrenia. Jerry returned to Oklahoma, where he has family, but wasn’t able to keep a job. Hoping to find better employment opportunities than those in the small town he was leaving, Jerry came to Texas. The problems continued however. Each time he got work, he lost it. He has never been able to have his own place, and has spent his adult years off and on in shelters, staying with friends, or on the streets. Now 60 years old, Jerry just moved into his own apartment – his first one ever! His frequent smile widens even more when talking about having a place of his own, thinking about watching football on TV, and having his own kitchen table for the first time. He knows he needs continuing support with his illness, but is thankful that he will finally have privacy, dignity, and some simple things that others take for granted.
Jan 11, 2017
JOHN
John a single parent and a father of five came to ACO in desperate need of help. John was laid off from a Corporate America position where he had health benefits, substantial salary and what he believed was stability. John believed shortly after his lay off he would bounce back quickly into the same industry he left or something similar. One month turned into two months, three months turned into six and six months turned into a year. After exhausting all of his options and being unable to survive on unemployment benefits John reluctantly came to ACO.
He met with an Emergency Assistance Case Manager for financial assistance for his mortgage. John was offered additional services such as food from ACO’s food pantry, clothing and appliance from ACO’s Resale Shop and Personal hygiene and care items from ACO’s Care and Share program. Overridden with shame John replied, “No thank, please give those items to someone who needs it.”
John’s Emergency Assistance Case Manager encouraged him to partake in the services empowering to reap the benefits as a tax payer. John continued to refuse the majority of the services but agreed to shop in the food pantry. ACO’s front desk staff made John an appointment and sent him on his way.
The next week an ACO volunteer from the Food Pantry informed the Emergency Assistance Case Manager of a client that refused to shop in the pantry and returned his appointment card to the food pantry staff. The volunteer handed the Case Manager the card and it was John.
The Case Manager contact John to meet with him in person again to discuss the situation, John agreed. At the meeting John revealed feelings of overwhelming shame, guilty and deep frustration. Having a Bachelor’s degree and unable to feed, clothing and possibly house his children was degrading for him. Sharing his circumstances with a social service agency was belittling and shopping in a food pantry for the first time was devastating.
After meeting with ACO’s Emergency Assistance team John gathered the courage to get the help he needed. John began receiving services from our food pantry, resale shop, emergency and professional development. John went from earning $0.00 a year to $10.00/hr. to $39,000 yearly. John is not finished; ACO’s Transforming Lives program will fund John to obtain a Project Manager certification to boost his career and move from poverty to self –sufficiency!
AMANDA
Amanda, a 25 years old single mother of four wears many physical and emotional scars as a result of domestic violence came into ACO in need of financial assistance to prevent homeless and hunger in her family’s lives.
Amanda works 40 hours a week, earning $17.00/hr. to care for a household of 4. Although she has a full time job, each month she makes payment arrangements with multiple bill collectors to maintain her utilities, pay rent with late fees all while attempting to avoid overdraft fees from her local bank. Amanda is what we call the working poor.
Amanda is employed with a reputable company, makes more than minimum wage but not enough to financially maintain her household. Amanda earns too much money to qualify for food stamps or Medicaid but not enough to feed her hungry children or pay the outstanding balances on the medical bills that cause her credit score to decline at a rapid rate.
Although, she possesses a great deal of professional experience, one of Amanda’s major barriers to escaping poverty is education. A high school diploma and a few college credits, lack of disposable income and the inability to maintain her family’s basic needs (food, water, and shelter) prevent Amanda from achieving her life’s goal of becoming an RN.
Amanda knew if something didn’t change in her life, she could never escape the grasp poverty has on her life! Imagine having to choose between food and shelter and education! It’s hard to imagine isn’t it! No one should have to make that choice, especially when very resource you need is the resource that can change your life for the better.
Through ACO’s comprehensive services, Amanda is received financial assistance to avoid homelessness and more! Amanda walked into ACO to resolve a temporary crisis and walked out with long term change!
Amanda now receives emergency assistance for utilities to assist her in building a savings account to plan for the future for her family, a Financial Advisor to help her budget her income, food from the food pantry to feed her children 3 meals a day, Financial Literacy to reduce debt, clothing, shoes, household appliance and furniture from the resale shop and tuition assistance to complete her education and fulfill her dream to become an RN! Allen Community Outreach is not just giving a hand out, we give a hand up!
ANGIE
Angie visited the bank to make her usual transaction for the week and realizes her PIN number doesn’t work. She enters the bank lobby and speaks to a representative only to find she is not an authorized signer on the account and the funds she once had access to; are no longer available. After such shocking news, Angie calls her husband only to find that he is in the process of filing for divorce and she has a limited number of days to move out of their family home.
Angie, possessing a high school education and a few college courses under her belt doesn’t know where to start. She has been out of the workforce for 10 years!
Anxiety ridden, desperate and confused Angie, learns how to apply for a job through ACO’s Professional Development program, pay her bills online through assistance from ACO’s Emergency Assistance Case Manager, and open a bank account through ACO’s Financial Literacy classes. Through ACO’s emergency financial assistance program she is able to maintain her home until she obtains employment. Through ACO’s Client Choice Food Pantry she is able to feed her family healthy foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables from community gardens, Whole foods, Sprouts and much more! She is able to obtain clothing, appliances and shoes for her children through ACO’s Resale Shop!
Angie learns to navigate her way to maintain her home in a way she never knew she could! She obtains a job as a waitress earning a little over $2.10/hr. an hour plus tips to take care of herself and two children. Working double shifts only helps her to pay enough on her mortgage to barely avoid foreclosure. Angie has made it a long way but it still isn’t enough. Angie needs a career not a job, but that only comes with higher education or a certification in a lucrative field of study.
Angie enrolled into ACO’s Transforming Lives GED program and has recently passed two sections of the four parts of her test. Angie has a long way to go, and is willing to go the distance! Through ACO’s comprehensive services she can obtain all of her needs in a one stop shop. ACO helps change lives, circumstances and mindsets! Angie not only changed her circumstances through comprehensive services, but changed her “I can’t “mentality to “I did”! ACO gives a hand up not a hand out!
