Michael Johnston

MOLLY'S FAMILY

 

Her name was “Molly”.  She was a young mother of three children in elementary school.  Molly’s husband owned a business and although there wasn’t a lot of money to spare, the family had a house and they managed to create a comfortable and safe environment for their kids in a community that they loved.  Then one day, Molly’s world turned upside down.  Her husband died unexpectedly and with his death, the business collapsed.  Molly’s husband didn’t have life insurance and there wasn’t much in the way of savings, so she needed to find a job to support her family.

 

Unfortunately, Molly had never finished her high school education and because the family had always relied on her husband as the bread winner she had no work experience.  Making matters worse, the economy was in turmoil and many of the places where she could have found entry level jobs in the past were now laying off employees.  Absent any source of income, Molly found herself in jeopardy of losing the family’s home.  She was in despair and in need of help, but did not know where to turn.

 

Stories like Molly’s are not unique.  As we struggle to find ways to help those in need, we may not even be aware that our neighbors are struggling to avoid destitution.  Fortunately, United Way funded organizations in our community came to Molly’s help.  Emergency financial assistance, help with mortgage restructuring, job training and basic medical care are all available for people like Molly and her kids.  You can make sure that families like hers never find themselves without a bed or a warm meal.  You can make a difference in their lives if you just “Take Five to Give $5” now.

 

Posted by:

Michael Johnston

CEO, United Way of Western Connecticut

 

Comments

[Stacy Schulman]

Taking the time to volunteer at a non-profit agency in our community is so very important. Thank you to the volunteers that participated in our 15th annual Day of Caring on June 10th. Due to the hard work of over 650+ volunteers over 40 non-profit agencies in 8 towns had 98 improvement projects completed. These are projects that would have otherwise gone undone. These volunteers should be commended for their hard work!