The loss of my sister left a gaping hole in our lives. Susan fell ill and passed in a short amount of time. Very quickly it became apparent that her young boys would need me. We had arranged for care of the boys should anything happen to her, but didn’t ever expect it to occur so soon.
Child & Family and its Family Care Community Partnership (FCCP) were a godsend. I met Child & Family case managers involved in the FCCP program. Slowly a plan emerged, I needed help with so many things, it was difficult to know where to start. Susan’s oldest son, Jaimie, suffers from a host of emotional, behavioral and communication disorders. Her younger son, Michael felt the pain of his mother’s death in a special way. Michael is a sensitive boy. The FCCP has played a huge role in both Jaimie’s and Michael’s improvement. The FCCP faciliated monthly meetings geared toward helping me manage life. We discussed budeting, schooling, and issues with the house. When my sister first became sick, I decided to move into her home in Middletown in order to maintain some stability for the boys. I had lots of trouble keeping up with the bills, especially while Susan’s assets were frozen in the months just before her death. Child & Family and their partners helped us avoid foreclosure. Together, we found the resources to fix my car, replace a broken refrigerator and provide badly needed repairs to the house. The FCCP team also linked me to resources to help us pay for heat, food, clothes and too many other things to mention. They gave me the tools to sustain this new life we’re creating.
We were close to losing hope, but kindness prevailed. We found compassion and love in the eyes and hearts of so many wonderful people. I am very grateful to Child & Family. They came alongside us in our moment of greatest need. They provided resources and taught me resourcefulness. I am so thankful!
