Tina
Tina calls it a miracle, but it just what we do. Like our buddy Manny Rico says, "you don't congratulate a fish for swimming."
Tina is 70 years old. She and her husband never had kids. He passed away 6 years ago. That old Plymouth needed some repairs this month, and she got behind on her bills. A neighbor told Tina to come to MetMin's Senior Day.
"This past year has been rough. I really do feel like a widow. Seems I never can catch up. There's just not enough to pay for my basic needs."
Even her cat was out of food. "Times are rough."
It's not the life Tina expected. She's spent her life serving others as the Community Service Chair at her church, helping folks with food and utility bill payments. "Now the shoe's on the other foot, and here I am."
Truth is she wasn't that far behind on her bills - $18.63 for water, $46 for sewer, $98.40 for electricity. To Tina, it was a mountain too high, a reason to give up.
Tina is just the kind of person we want to see each month. That might sound crazy to some of you, but we know that getting her food from our On-site Grocery Store for Seniors, having someone help her make good choices with her income, even keeping her beloved pets fed can keep her stable.
It can keep her feeling like the useful, helpful person she truly is, and give her a new community. It can keep her useful.
The storm has passed over and the road ahead, we pray, is less lonely.
"It was hard for me to be here today. I prayed about it. I prayed for a miracle. This isn't a coincidence, is it? Doesn't it give you chills?"
It's just what we do here at MetMin. You don't congratulate a fish for swimming.