Thursday Church Day

 Today our temperatures were in the 70's (after a 20 degree drop last night) and I spent the best weather day of the summer, so far, in the charity office. 

We basically sit in a closet with a small window air conditioner so that we can't open a window. And when I opened the door, it was like opening an oven with the hot air from the whole month of July rushing at me. 

We are having a funeral at my church tomorrow and I am on the meal team.  The first thing I did when I got home was to make an Italian Pasta Salad. 

My first case was a woman whose husband works in a factory while she cares for their autistic elementary aged son. Her husband makes a few hundred dollars a month under their bills and she was exhausted trying to play catch-up month after month. 

I am good at commiserating with people and after we talked for awhile, we came up with a plan.  I believe we can help her complete her renegotiated mortgage payment for July. I reminded her tomorrow is August. I gave her a list of charities and foundations and social service agencies to contact to try to get her August payment so she could use his check to catch up other bills. We talked about trying to keep current or even ahead.  Then we had a talk about a part-time job to be able to keep up every month. She suggested babysitting and I suggested she contact the county to see if she could be certified as a county babysitter.  She does not really have job skills or the skill to have a job (if you know what I mean). But she was very sweet and I think she could be a dependable babysitter.  I made careful notes of our plan, who to contact, phone numbers and suggestions for her to take with her and she seemed very excited to get busy on the plan.  I hope it all works out. 

The second project was baking a pan of brownies for the funeral. 

The next client was a man who is unable to read or write and is a little slow. He did have a good friend who came with him to help with his application and help him out. He is on SSI and used his taxes to purchase his mother's trailer, pay the back taxes and wants to move in. He needed the security deposit and first month rent for lot rent which will be affordable for him. 

Another church is willing to do one if we do the other. He has a court date for custody of his son who is currently with a family member. CPS has already inspected and approved the trailer and he has him registered in school.  I provided information about area food banks and blessing boxes as well as other places to assist him.  He will be fine as long as someone mentors him. And that might have to be his 11 yr old son.  

If you buy a house on my street, I will bake you a pie. The house across the street sold to a free spirit friend of my middle son and he has just moved in. I assured my neighbors his waist length blonde dreads are not scary, he actually works the early shift in the area foundry and is already working hard on the landscaping. 

The third client was an application and interview from another volunteer yesterday. A woman in her 30's who has been in our country for almost 15 years as a green card holder and has been trying for citizenship but just hasn't had the funds.  Her renewal was not processed before her card expired and she is unable to work until it is renewed.  

She need funds to pay for a lawyer so that she can work through this (hopefully) and also money for some fees to go along with it since her green card is now expired. All in all, she needs about $1500.  

I don't want to say too much information but she is of Scandinavian descent and has four children born in this country. She also has a husband whose behavior is concerning. The church we usually partner with has voted not to assist as they are concerned they could be audited at some point and be liable for something or other from the government.  Another tricky part is that the fees need paid on the internet and we don't bank on the internet. We found a church of our denomination in a neighboring county who is willing to assist with us (although we may have to involve more organizations) and is able to transfer funds on the internet.  So this will be our big dilemma at our board meeting and I hope we don't get too many more applications by Monday. 

Cherry.  He was already asleep by the time it came out of the oven.  My husband, who gets up way to early, says he leaves around 4/5 am as they are trying to work 8 hours before it gets unbearably hot in the foundry and he should be home by 2 tomorrow.  I will take it over then. 

I apologize for the color changes and font changes and all the other goofiness. I am just too tired to figure it out.