I just spoke to Valerie on the phone today. She is a 70 year old grandmother and legal guardian of 6 year old Aaron who is severely autistic. His mother abandoned him when he was an infant. His father, Valerie’s son, died 2 months before Aaron was born and Valerie’s husband died a year prior to that.

Her voice sounded weak and tired. She herself suffers from spinal stenosis and she needs shoulder surgery but cannot afford it. She said her double wide mobile home has a roof leak and it is causing electrical issues. She broke down explaining about the roof and said, “There is just so much. I am overwhelmed. I don’t know how to ask for help.” I told her she just did, and with no loss of dignity, because we all need help at some time in our lives. We continued with the application process and when I finished telling her how our program works she was silent and then through tears said, ” Everything is still a mess, but somehow I’m not overwhelmed. Maybe it is just because you gave me hope.”

-From an earlier e-blast (Subscribe to our emails below.)