A typical client at Irving Cares is a single parent family with two children. Many clients have had their hours cut at work, and their paychecks aren’t the same amount as before.
Families come when they’ve had an unexpected expense such as car repair, or an illness requiring a doctor’s visit and prescriptions, so some of their rent or grocery money was used for an emergency.
These stories tell how Irving Cares has helped.
FOOD PANTRY
Both husband and wife were unemployed in December. Irving Cares was able to provide a week’s worth of emergency groceries and ingredients for the client’s holiday meal. The client mailed a thank you card:
Dear Irving Cares,
Thank you very much for the gift of food you gave us. It was very helpful to us during a difficult time. I appreciated being treated with respect during what was a humbling time.
A senior citizen came to Irving Cares for food assistance because she was declined for food stamps. Her income from Social Security and her pension was too high, though it was only $1,200 per month. Her monthly expenses were $1,000, and she had some recent dental expenses. Irving Cares provided emergency groceries and referred her to a community group that helps senior citizens with groceries on an ongoing basis.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Max came into Irving Cares for assistance with rent. His niece had been living with him and helping pay the rent. She moved out unexpectedly and he was short for the month’s rent. Max had to pay late fees – something he’d never done before. With help from Irving Cares, Max was able to catch up and plan for the loss of the extra rent money. He was able to pay the next month’s rent on time and without late fees.
EMPLOYMENT SERVICES PROGRAM
Sarah arrived at Irving Cares seeking employment assistance. She was in her early 50′s, recently divorced, hadn’t worked in 10 years and was living in a local motel. She attended weekly job search seminars and began building a relationship with her case manager. Sarah used the bus passes and referrals given to her, and through personal dedication and persistence she was hired as a Labor and Delivery Technician at a local hospital. Today, she is enjoying her new job and living in her own apartment.
Tanya moved to Irving from another state to start a new life. Initially, she and her three small children temporarily moved in with her aunt. Tanya’s aunt was familiar with Irving Cares and suggested Tanya take advantage of the many programs available to Irving residents in need. One thing Tanya had going for her was a job at Delta Airlines at DFW Airport, but she had to wait for the airlines to transfer paperwork from out of state, which would take a few weeks. During that wait Tanya contacted Irving Cares for support. She needed food for her family immediately, and she knew that she would need childcare support until her first paycheck arrived. Tanya met the Employment Services Program requirements for childcare assistance and stayed in communication with her case manager. Today, Tanya is thriving at her job. She and her three children have their own home and Tanya pays for their childcare and groceries. She remains grateful for the hand-up that Irving Cares’ programs provided.
PATIENT TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM
Cathy is a mother of three – a 16-year-old daughter, 7-year-old son and 3-year-old son. Last November a school counselor referred Cathy and her family for Irving Cares Holiday Assistance Program. The Holiday Assistance Program provides a financial assistance with rent for the month of December, allowing the family to budget for their own gifts. Families attend a money management class, and also receive a generous grocery gift card.
Meeting with the case manager, Cathy revealed that she had been diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer. She enrolled in the Patient Transportation Program to schedule rides to her chemotherapy treatments at Parkland Hospital. By February, the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. Her treatments and follow up exams became more frequent and were long and exhausting.
During treatment, Cathy continued to work at a local fast food restaurant. After six months of treatment, Cathy had lost her hair, was frail and pale, but remained in good spirits. She’s worried about her children, but continues to be positive about the future.
Irving Cares Patient Transportation Program allows Cathy to have stress-free, door-to-door rides for treatments and medical appointments, and makes it easier to live with a chronic condition such as cancer.