Giving Hearts to Bernice Boyd

For the past six weeks, my family and a couple of special friends have been doing all we could to help this special lady.  Bernice Boyd has been a neighbor of our farm for over 25 years.  She is now in  desperate need of funds and help to keep her at home with simply basic needs of living, which she insists on doing regardless of being alone and financially simply not making it any more. 

Many people in the community know Bernice from her work at Chocowinity School many years ago and also at Beaufort County Hospital.  She is well known as the loving caretaker and sister of Carol Brame, a special lady with Down's syndrome who passed away several years ago.  Bernice took care of her husband who died young of cancer, then her parents, and then Carol, all her life.  She had no children.  Her sister and her dog, Lil Bit, were her "children."  She has no one now to take care of her, and regardless of her determination and extremely strong will and independence, she simply can't do it on her own any more.  She refuses to go to a nursing home, not wanting to "lose her property to the state", does not have enough money to live on monthly, and is completely upside down financially.  She is not eligible for many programs because of limited property she owns.  Her home is in a state of extreme disrepair and groceries are sparse at best. 

To add to this dilemma, Bernice is almost completely blind, quite deaf, and recently had a heart attack which has left her with significant irreparable damage.  I have personally kept her safely at the farm for the past few weeks to allow us time to clean and get the house within reasonably sanitary state for her to go home.  However, there is almost nothing that works in the home.  She needs help.  We had to clean out almost everything within the home to get it to sanitary standards and need to replace the basic needs, i.e., bedding, kitchen items, cleaning supplies, and restocking her cabinets with the basics.  Her oven does not work.  Her counter top toaster oven is held shut with a clothes hanger.   Her dryer is not hooked up due to inability to afford to do so (for years).   The toilet needs fixing to flush properly....and more. 

Bernice has no transportation, except for friends.  She has been the victim of many "vultures" who have very much taken advantage of her very limited resources over the years and most definitely added to her current financial devastation.  She is a huge giver; always wanting to share, and, unfortunately, this has cost her way too much in the end.  She lives at the mercy of others, and I am personally asking that anyone who can offer help or assistance in any small way consider doing so.  Because she has been conned and taken advantage of so often, I am protective of her, so scammers and opportunists need to stay away.  I won't allow this to happen to her any more.  Every dime donated will go directly to Bernice and  helping her stay in her home as long as she can.  

If you can offer any help financially or in other ways to Bernice, please find it in the your heart to do so.  But for the grace of God go I, and any of us could end up alone and destitute, which is essentially the point she has reached, though she is in denial.  She believes "God will provide."  I pray he speaks to your hearts and will indeed do so for her financially to allow her to live the rest of her life, or as long as possible, with dignity at home.   

I only wish I could win the lottery and have more to give to help her.  It was only after her heart attack and I began directly caring for her that I realized how desperately poor she is and how bad things had become for her.  I have slept little because of this, mostly because I simply can't help her much more, and she is becoming very anxious about going home, regardless.  I have put into place every safety measure I know is available, but know it's not taking care of her financial needs.  Her minimal social security check leaves her about $400 short each month to provide very minimal basic cost of living needs. 

If you can help Bernice in any way, please give a little from your heart and I will personally make sure she knows that people care.  I can promise she will surely pray for you in appreciation.  If there are other ways you can offer help, please contact me at [email redacted].