Neighbor has no water/electricity
Donation protected
Hello kind hearted people,
New to the neighborhood, I would see an elderly woman doing yard work for several houses on the block & assumed she was the neighborhood maid/yard keeper. Then I found out the truth when this elderly woman, Kim, came over to welcome me to the neighborhood.
I soon learned that she is a single mother, with no family, who cares for her mentally ill adult son. Her family rejected her son & they only have eachother. They both barely survive with disability, social security checks & food stamps. She has shared with me the amounts she receives & I assure you, they are hardly enough to get by.
Being the incredible woman that she is, she earns food, water & occassionally a small amount of money by doing yard work for generous neighbors but it's not enough. She is up before sunrise & is still doing yard work at sunset.
She works with one hand, because after having THREE strokes, her other hand is not so good.
She turned 74 last week.
Her water & electricity was shut off this past summer & has remained off. Her electricity was shut off because during our extreme heat wave temperatures, she couldn't afford her bill. Her water was shut off as she tried to put her money towards her electric bill. After her water was shut off, it then doubled and she soon learned her house has leaky pipes underneath. She went to court to fight the water company (pointing out that they had shut off her water so why did her bill continue to increase?) and the Judge concluded she was still responsible for the entire bill.
For months, I have witnessed her hard work from dusk to dawn struggling to survive. All the while she speaks of GOD, LOVE & FAITH with a smile. The picture is a note she gave me, sharing her optimism on life.
Please open your hearts to this woman, who is an inspiration as a mother and as a struggling human being. I have included a picture of her in her younger, happier days.
New to the neighborhood, I would see an elderly woman doing yard work for several houses on the block & assumed she was the neighborhood maid/yard keeper. Then I found out the truth when this elderly woman, Kim, came over to welcome me to the neighborhood.
I soon learned that she is a single mother, with no family, who cares for her mentally ill adult son. Her family rejected her son & they only have eachother. They both barely survive with disability, social security checks & food stamps. She has shared with me the amounts she receives & I assure you, they are hardly enough to get by.
Being the incredible woman that she is, she earns food, water & occassionally a small amount of money by doing yard work for generous neighbors but it's not enough. She is up before sunrise & is still doing yard work at sunset.
She works with one hand, because after having THREE strokes, her other hand is not so good.
She turned 74 last week.
Her water & electricity was shut off this past summer & has remained off. Her electricity was shut off because during our extreme heat wave temperatures, she couldn't afford her bill. Her water was shut off as she tried to put her money towards her electric bill. After her water was shut off, it then doubled and she soon learned her house has leaky pipes underneath. She went to court to fight the water company (pointing out that they had shut off her water so why did her bill continue to increase?) and the Judge concluded she was still responsible for the entire bill.
For months, I have witnessed her hard work from dusk to dawn struggling to survive. All the while she speaks of GOD, LOVE & FAITH with a smile. The picture is a note she gave me, sharing her optimism on life.
Please open your hearts to this woman, who is an inspiration as a mother and as a struggling human being. I have included a picture of her in her younger, happier days.
Organizer
Lily Ana
Organizer
El Paso, TX
