“You were there for me and it’s a huge blessing. I would love to give you a big hug.”
~ Mariagrazia, who found help after an injury put her family at risk of homelessness
With four kids at home, Mariagrazia has always worked hard. A first-generation American, she took care to save for emergencies and plan for her family’s future.
Then COVID hit. Her work slowed down to a trickle, even after restrictions began to loosen. She carefully portioned out her savings, negotiated to make partial payments when needed, and looked forward to the time she’d be back to full employment.
Just as things began to look up, she suffered a fall that dislocated her shoulder and broke her elbow in two places. The injury made it impossible to perform her usual work — installing tint and other detailing on automobiles.
“My first thought was ‘what am I going to do. I don’t have enough left, I need to work.’” says Mariagrazia. She had part of her rent but knew it wasn’t enough. To make matters worse, her injury made even little things like driving an ordeal.
A friend suggested she seek help at the Latin American Coalition nearby. Through our Partner Agency network, Coalition staff helped Mariagrazia apply for emergency financial assistance through Crisis Assistance Ministry.
“When I found out I was getting help, I started crying,” she recalls. “You don’t understand how this gave me peace.”
A payment to her landlord filled the gap and kept her safely housed. Still healing, Mariagrazia is so grateful.
“You never know what people go through. Everyone struggles, and without you, none of this would be possible. Thank you.”
