Gaylene is a force of nature. Her entire being is swathed in purple, and her wide smile invites you to sit down and chat.
She’s got quite a story to tell, too. After escaping an abusive marriage decades ago, she became an advocate and mentor for others affected by domestic violence.
“That’s why I wear purple everywhere I go,” she says. “I want everyone to know you can get out and you can overcome, no matter what has happened.”
Since a degenerative bone condition left her unable to work, Gaylene has been making ends meet with disability and social security income. She smiles when she talks about her budget. She shops here for clothing and household items free-of-charge. She sticks tightly to a grocery list. She and her friends share their resources.
But the month before she visited Crisis Assistance Ministry was extra cold, and she couldn’t quite cover her whole heating bill.
Her power was scheduled for disconnection until your support provided an emergency payment directly to the power company to make sure Gaylene could return to a warm apartment.
“It’s so important to help each other,” she says. “I know how to ask for help and I know how to give help, too. It’s give and take.”
“I’m grateful for that,” she says, then adds with a wink, “I am a survivor, after all.”
“I know how to ask for help and I know how to give help, too… I am a survivor.”
– Gaylene
Thank you for offering Gaylene the help and hope she needs so she can get back to the business of encouraging others.