Look for me not in far off lands....
Jackie was cold. There was nothing but a small space heater to keep her warm. The walls of her trailer were not insulated. The skirting on the outside was so brittle that just looking at it would make it crumble. A trip through her den was like walking through a mole-filled yard. The wood was rotted and some places just had carpet separating the inside from the dirt below. Blankets hung as bedroom doors. Only one exterior door was actually attached. The others were just propped up against the trailer.
On top of all the other problems, this poor lady had been without running water for several weeks. Many pipes were cracked, including the main water line to the house. There was no money to fix any of this. Jackie’s Social Security check was barely enough to buy a few groceries and pay the electric bill. She has a heart condition, which prevents her from working, so there aren’t many options. She has no husband or children, and relatives are few and far between.
Jackie had called many agencies for assistance, but they all thought the repairs were just too much…so they did nothing. Sacred Heart Southern Missions stepped in and in a matter of hours was able to restore Jackie’s water. The first thing she did was take a hot shower, something she had not had in almost a month. Her house is still a work in progress, but repairs to the doors and floors have given her a less drafty home to live in until the other renovation work is complete. She was also given food to replenish her pantry and a brand new robe and some blankets to take the chill away. More repair work is scheduled in the near future. The watchful eye of the SHSM social worker will make sure Jackie has what she needs.
