How Your Support Helps Families Like Jenny’s Overcome Hunger and Stress During the Holidays
It’s the most wonderful time of the year – but while most families are decking the halls and gathering for the holidays, Jenny is having to make difficult decisions to provide the holiday magic to her two children.
“The holidays are both happy because you get to spend them with family, but extremely stressful because of money,” she explains. “Just with food in general, it’s very expensive. And gas. We have to choose whether or not to drive to see certain family.”
The last choice in particular can be heartbreaking. Last year, Jenny’s husband’s grandmother passed away before Christmas. Fortunately, they’d had the time and money to make the trip to see her on Thanksgiving. But now his grandfather is in failing health, and Jenny is worried. If they make the drive, it may come at the cost of something else later down the line.
Holidays may add a new dimension, but the challenge of family versus finances exists year-round. Jenny can’t work because she’s a caregiver for her son Eli, who is autistic with high support needs. She makes sure Eli has his prescription medicines refilled on time and that he’s taking them, gets him to and from his therapy appointments, and buys or prepares the few foods that he can eat (food sensitivities and extreme aversion to certain foods are common symptoms of autism).
It’s a full-time labor of love, but one without pay. So, the family relies on her husband’s salary. Most of the time it’s enough to get by, if barely. But one unexpected bill is enough to set the family back months. Recently, unforeseeable disasters such as strong winds and tornados have forced the family into paying hundreds of dollars in damage.
“We had to redo the entire roof,” Jenny told us. “Even with insurance, it’s still at least a $500 bill.”
And now, it’s the holiday season.
Jenny said she tries to budget year-round, but this year, things were especially tight. The family didn’t make their annual visit to the zoo. Her daughter went to see a movie in theaters – once. Any other fun family activities, like going out to eat at McDonald’s, virtually didn’t happen. Going without small joys should, in theory, have let Jenny stockpile funds and fun for the holiday season, but as the festive days draw closer, she wonders if it will have been enough.
That’s why your support during the holiday season is so important. Jenny was able to receive food, school supplies and other essential items, removing some of the strain from her budget. When families’ basic needs are met, they are better able to plan for the future and enjoy the present – including those moments that only come once a year.
