EMPTY STOCKING: Care & Share keeps them from the brink
Nancy fell ill several years ago and was hospitalized for 11 days.
“They told me I probably wouldn’t be able to go home,” she said. “But I showed them.”
Nancy was diagnosed with low blood oxygen. The condition can disrupt the body’s functioning and harm vital tissues.
“I’m in pain 24/7,” said Nancy, 60, who also was diagnosed with diabetes.
Only her first name is being used to protect her privacy.
Nancy, who is on oxygen constantly, has been out of work for several years because of her medical conditions, she said. She and her husband have struggled to pay bills on his salary alone.
“There were several months we had to borrow from our life insurance policies,” Nancy said.
Her daughter-in-law introduced her to Care & Share Food Bank. The agency distributes food to more than 400 organizations across southern Colorado. In 2008, Care & Share distributed roughly 11.3 million pounds of food.
Care & Share is one of 14 area charities receiving grants from The Gazette-El Pomar Foundation Empty Stocking Fund.
Nancy and her husband have been using Care & Share food banks for the past few years, sometimes going once or twice a week.
They receive items such as bread, eggs, potatoes, milk, meat and fruit.
“We got a ham last time we went. We depend on Care & Share. Without them, we would probably be in a world of hurt. We’re both very thankful for them,” Nancy said.
“If we ever get on our feet, we’ll stop relying on them. But right now, we owe our life insurance policies a great deal of money.”
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To make a secure online donation, go to www.fillanemptystocking.org. Call 476-1673 to make a credit card or stock donation over the phone. Checks can be made payable to the Empty Stocking Fund and mailed to P.O. Box 400, Colorado Springs, CO 80901.
