Broke my heart today

**forHISglory** · 09-26-2011, 05:41 PM

I do a little volunteer work and was asked by a charity group if we could take a mattress to a family that was burned out of their home. This family had very little and now had nothing. They had got an apartment, but had not one thing in it except for a blanket. The apartment was a tenement/slum that had once been a large mansion, and now was cut up into little rooms. It stunk, and grime was all over the entry and walls. The family has 4 little boys. One was in school and the others were a four year old and 3 year old twins. We went begging in town for donations for the family and were able to deliver a chair, a little table, 3 mattresses, a blanket and some sheets, some towels, dishes and silverware, and food. Still have some donations to pick up and deliver.

Now, here's what broke my heart. The family had all been sleeping on a blanket on the linoleum floor. When we took in the mattresses, the little four year old solemnly came up, shook my hand, and said, "Thank you for bringing me a bed to sleep on." I about cried. Hubby was sniffling. It was just a mattress on that floor, but in the little boy's eyes, it was a BED!!!!!

I have never felt so blessed.

**mh3rdwheel** · 09-26-2011, 06:13 PM

Originally Posted by forHISglory

I do a little volunteer work and was asked by a charity group if we could take a mattress to a family that was burned out of their home. This family had very little and now had nothing. They had got an apartment, but had not one thing in it except for a blanket. The apartment was a tenement/slum that had once been a large mansion, and now was cut up into little rooms. It stunk, and grime was all over the entry and walls. The family has 4 little boys. One was in school and the others were a four year old and 3 year old twins. We went begging in town for donations for the family and were able to deliver a chair, a little table, 3 mattresses, a blanket and some sheets, some towels, dishes and silverware, and food. Still have some donations to pick up and deliver.

Now, here's what broke my heart. The family had all been sleeping on a blanket on the linoleum floor. When we took in the mattresses, the little four year old solemnly came up, shook my hand, and said, "Thank you for bringing me a bed to sleep on." I about cried. Hubby was sniffling. It was just a mattress on that floor, but in the little boy's eyes, it was a BED!!!!!

I have never felt so blessed.

i absolutely love helping others, I have been homeless, 2 years ago we lived in a hotel and then we had no money for paying for a hotel. My boss gave us a free apt. Thank you Lee and Gary.

**Sara Noel** · 09-26-2011, 06:22 PM

Very sad that the community, american red cross and salvation army couldn't help this family sooner.

Our schools will even seek donations for families that have been through a crisis like this.

Very happy that you could help out.

**Ramona** · 09-26-2011, 06:35 PM

They have so little and appreciate everything ♥
I've learned another lesson today: Be grateful, stay grateful.

**HappyMama** · 09-26-2011, 06:38 PM

Thank you so much for helping this family. What a reminder to be appreciative of blessings received.

**Imarachne** · 09-26-2011, 06:50 PM

Every day we should give thanks that we have what we have. Very sobering.

**forHISglory** · 09-26-2011, 09:29 PM

Friends, I walked into my house today after delivering the items, and cried. My house was clean and warm and had furniture and carpet. I had a fridge with food in it and dishes in my cupboard. I have a bed with warm coverings. I have soap and bleach.

And I just took all those things for granted. Sobering, indeed.

**auntie2many** · 09-26-2011, 10:07 PM

ForHisGlory, your story really touched my heart. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. I have never voted for a post before. I want to vote your post as my favorite post of the month, can someone please instruct me as to how to do that? Thanks!

A2M

**frugalfoster** · 09-26-2011, 10:51 PM

If only more people could experience a moment like you did. This world would be a different place. God bless you for being there for them.

**peanut** · 09-26-2011, 11:00 PM

It's so hard emotionally to walk into those situations and go back to a comfortable existence.

Today I took food to our local homeless shelter. I walked in with two grocery bags, to be greeted by someone who says they feed 100 people a day! I felt like my two bags weren't even a drop in the bucket. But he waxed enthusiastically over it, saying it would serve their transition men and some staff. He was very excited to hear there was Peanut Brittle in the bags.

Still, I left thinking of all the need in the world, and how much I've got that I could give. DH went with me and we talked about processing food for them to serve their clientele. Particularly applesauce, as a friend is giving us all the apples off their tree next year. It is heart wrenching to think of so many people in need in our own city...especially this time of year when most of us are swamped with harvesting and preserving the plenty around us.

WTG forHISglory!

**wanderlusting** · 09-27-2011, 07:01 AM

thank you for sharing that story...I'm tearing up thinking about it now. Sometimes I forget how truly blessed I am. It's truly eye-opening that people in America live like that

**nodmicks** · 09-27-2011, 09:15 AM

That made me cry! I hope they get more help and thanks for helping them!

**mamachop** · 09-27-2011, 09:18 AM

Thank you for helping this family and for giving us a reminder of what truly is most important!

**forHISglory** · 09-27-2011, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by wanderlusting

thank you for sharing that story...I'm tearing up thinking about it now. Sometimes I forget how truly blessed I am. It's truly eye-opening that people in America live like that

So very true. I see scenes on TV news about life in Bosnia after the bombings, or life in Ethiopia, etc. This was similar: a dirty ramshackle slum with broken windows, the distinct smell of urine mixed with stale smoke and wet dog, and no belongings. And like the the pictures of Bosnia and Ethiopia, these folks are survivors, hanging on. I do forget that right here in mid-America, we have similar conditions. It may not be a war zone, per se, but it is a kind of war.

**Sara Noel** · 09-27-2011, 12:33 PM

I hope they're aware of the help that is available to them and take it. Many cities offer even more help than other cities for these types of situations. If they don't get help quickly, it's possible the children will be taken away from them if they continue to live under these circumstances. Fire or not, protective services looks out for the welfare of the children and those living conditions are unacceptable.

I think it's horrendous that no one has started any type of larger scale fundraising in your community to help these people. It wouldn't take much to start something such as a potluck benefit and send a press release to the local news to get this family the help they desperately need.

Are they at least going to the food bank? It's truly time to rally the local troops to help one of their own. A family unit is so fragile and it doesn't take much for a person to go over the deep end.

If you'd like, we can start something here. I understand many of us don't have much, but something has to be done for this family and it seems they are not getting the help they should be getting under such severe circumstances.

I can set up something for monetary donations or items that can be mailed to them. I wish that I could help sooner, but clearly this family will need as much help as possible for the foreseeable future.