1 in 5 families with a disabled member faces food insecurity.

As a licensed professional counselor working with chronically ill adults, I witness this brutal truth every day. My name is Marah Warhaftig. I’m the founder of Holding Hope Counseling Center, a telehealth private practice serving Connecticut residents living with complex trauma, chronic illness, chronic pain, and disability. I’ve lived with chronic illness and disability since I was 14, and that personal connection fuels every part of my work.

This past summer, I launched Chronically Ill Conversations—a monthly online workshop designed to offer adults with chronic medical conditions a space to connect, heal, and be seen. To keep it accessible, I offer a pay-what-you-can model for those on disability or public assistance.

The response has been overwhelming—and heartbreaking. My inbox is filled with messages from people who long to attend but can’t spare even $5 from their monthly budget.

In Connecticut, the average monthly Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payment is about $1,826. For those on Supplemental Security Income (SSI), it’s just $967. The maximum monthly SNAP benefit is $298. These numbers don’t stretch far enough—not for food, not for disability related expenses, and certainly not for healing spaces like this one.

We’re living in a time when connection and support are both harder to find and more essential than ever. The stress of poverty and isolation is accelerating health decline. And yes, suicide rates are rising.

The Susan Ruder Memorial Fund was created because connection and food security should never be a luxury. This fund ensures that no one is excluded from Chronically Ill Conversations due to financial hardship—and that participants have access to both emotional support and basic nourishment.

Every contribution helps someone step into a space where they can grow, heal, and thrive.

This fund honors the legacy of my Aunt Susan Ruder, a lifelong giver who passed away on May 9, 2025. Toward the end of her life, she was offered a choice between another round of chemotherapy and an experimental trial. When I asked her why she chose the trial, she said, “Even if I die, I’ll be helping someone else through the research.”

Thank you, Aunt Susan, for teaching me how to make lemonade out of the sourest of lemons.