Barbara is a senior member of our community and an expert hairstylist whose salon closed due to COVID and related economic issues. She is a proud, independent person, but the truth is, she needs our help. Because she has always been an independent contractor, her ability to access social safety net benefits is extremely limited. She lives in a sketchy area, but even with relatively low rent, she is unable to afford heating, phone service, and fuel for her car. She has recently been trying to exchange hair cutting services for a repair to her TV and answering machine (she doesn't have a cell phone), because she doesn't want to accept charity. Between conversations, I have inferred that she has much deeper issues than just a broken TV. Our family has given her a space heater and some cash, but our ability to help is very limited. After all, if you can't afford to heat your home, how can you afford to run an electrical heater? If you can afford to help in any way, it will be a life-changing act of solidarity for Barbara, and there couldn't be a better person to receive it.