Continue the Season of Giving into the New Year
A couple months ago I answered the phone at the Healthy Start Coalition office. A nice gentleman was on the other line requesting help. I assured him I would do what I could and to explain to me what was going on.
He was a resident in Panama City and, like so many other families in the region, had lost everything during Hurricane Michael. As the sole temporary guardian of his 4-month-old grandson, he needed to get himself and the baby out of the devastated area. He desperately needed to find secure and stable housing. They had nothing. He’d had to sell his watch for gas money just to make it to Sarasota and retreat to the safety of a friend’s home. Emotional and crying, he was concerned as he had no supplies to care for his grandson.
I told him to come to our office. We could help his grandson and we knew other organizations that could help meet their other needs.
Thanks to generous donations from our community, we were able to provide him with many things they needed. We provided a pack n’ play so his grandson could sleep safely, infant formula, clothes, and many other necessities. As our campus, the Glasser-Schoenbaum Human Services Center, houses many other non-profits, we were able to walk him to 211 so he could be connected to services like medical assistance and food stamps.
Until reaching our office, he’d hit many barriers. He kept returning to check in with our team and was very thankful for all the support we–and our partnering agencies–were able to provide.
During this New Year as we strive to meet our resolutions, don’t forget to give to your local charities. Organizations like us rely on the support of communities so we can provide much-needed services such as this.
Sincerely,
Shon Ewens, Executive Director
