PERSONAL HARDSHIP STORIES
Testimonials from grant recipients struggling through hardships.
My situation before receiving the grant was not the best. I had just saved up enough to rent a small place after living in my car for some time. However, I got sick as soon as I moved in, so I was out of work at the start of the month. This grant prevented me from losing my home.
As the result of a critical health crisis, I’d used all of my sick leave and paid time off credits, and I was still unable to return to work. This grant helped with my more immediate needs and some of my medical bills, it assuaged some of my anxieties. I felt like I could exhale and focus on returning to work and my recovery.
When your spouse passes away, it is never easy. We had a funeral policy but it did not pay for everything and this grant helped in covering the remaining expenses. I will always be grateful for everything my company did for my family during the worst nightmare of my life.
I had to leave an abusive relationship quickly, and therefore I used what little money I had saved for hotels and shelter. Now that I've received this grant, I will be able to purchase school supplies and clothes for my children. I will also be able to put a deposit down on a house so we can leave the women’s shelter we are currently living in. It will be nice to have normalcy and get a routine back in our life. I am so grateful for this grant and would encourage others in a similar situation to apply. There is no shame in asking for help when needed.
It's really hard to suffer financially - medical bills pile up quickly especially if your family can't afford to life/health insurance. Before I had a job, our family's monthly income was just enough for basic needs and education. After my father's hospitalization due to a stroke, our expenses extended way beyond our means due to the required medicine and health tests/care/supplies as his body had been paralyzed and he can not longer feed himself. The grant award helped us slowly recover from our financial troubles. This gave us hope and a reminder that there are still a lot of people out there who have big hearts and are very much willing to assist you. Thank you for being a beacon of hope for my family.
The pandemic has been very hard on my family, as it has been for many. I have been blessed to be able to keep working through this trying time but my husband unfortunately lost his employment. We were facing a housing crisis and possible eviction so I applied for the grant hoping this could help. When I saw the grant was approved and was able to stay on top of housing payments, I cried. This has been such a blessing.
I am currently battling cancer for the second time, and the medical bills are starting to get overwhelming. At the same time, my oldest son is graduating from college this year, while my other two children will soon be enrolled in school full-time Then, at the worst possible time, our roof is in dire need of a replacement. I have been so overwhelmed with all of this, so the assistance provided by this Fund has alleviated my anxiety and provided me with hope that there will be a way for me to get some of the outstanding medical bills paid.
My fiancé had to close his private practice due to Covid. There was a several month delay in the unemployment process and we were being evicted from our home due to a property sale and having to relocate during that time. I have a child at home so this was very challenging times to have our income cut by more than half. This was a one time financial benefit but it came at a time that we desperately needed it. It did make all the difference in paying our essential bills and grocery expenses at that time. Community support has been a saving grace in these difficult times. You have made a difference!
My father unfortunately passed away due to complications from COVID-19 in late December. To say it was a challenging time for my family and I is an understatement. My dad's colleagues reached out in many ways to offer their condolences and support, including reaching out to me to let me know about this grant program, which offers assistance with funeral & memorial home expenses following an employee's death. I am very grateful this was brought to my attention, and for his company's support of my family throughout this process. It is very clear they really loved and valued my dad. My dad's death was certainly unexpected. This grant helped lift the burden of final expenses related to his passing. I am hopeful that others don't find themselves in a similar situation with losing a loved one, but if it happens, I'd want others to know that it's definitely worth it to apply for the grant for financial assistance during difficult times.
My dad was ill and went into hospice care. He didn’t want to go to the hospital due to COVID restrictions so he chose to stay home so he could be close to his family to support him through the illness until the time he passes away. I had no income because I was off on FMLA taking care of my dad. Without the assistance, I would be delinquent on my house payment, I had ran out of every resource I had. There was no income to provide necessities for my children. I was in a very bad spot but was determined to live out my dads final wish of staying home. This grant helped provide that to happen. I am so appreciative of what this company has done in the time of need. I have no words to express to everyone who made this grant possible and allowed me to take care of my dad at home, spend the time with him, let him pass peacefully in his home as he wished. If I knew any of you and could hug you, I would give you the BIGGEST hug ever.
I applied for a grant because I had an unexpected surgery at the beginning of the year. Having barely used any of my medical benefits with a high deductible plan I had to pay a huge portion out of pocket that I wasn’t financially prepared for. Receiving this grant was the difference between taking on a substantial amount of debt and being stable. This circumstance was completely unexpected and unavoidable. Being awarded this grant has taken an incredible weight off of my shoulders.