EMPTY STOCKING: Family weathers financial and medical blows
Work has been up and down for Keith as a construction contractor.
“With the downturn in the economy, sort of from last year, the construction industry has been hit real hard,” he said. “It’s sometimes slow, and sometimes non-existent.”
Keith, 49, has been out of work for months at a time, making it difficult to support his wife and three sons. His wife has been temporarily unable to work since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
The family asked for help from Tri-Lakes Cares about a year ago, and the group has responded with food, Christmas gifts, employment advice, gas vouchers and even counseling, Keith said.
Off and on, the family received several bags of groceries packed with items such as bread, fruit and vegetables. Tri-Lakes also provided them with meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
“You come in and they hand you a couple of bags with things like stuffing and yams and give you Safeway vouchers for eggs, milk and a turkey,” Keith said. “That helped out a lot. It was a real blessing.”
Only his first name is being used to protect his privacy.
Tri-Lakes Cares is one of 14 area charities receiving grants from The Gazette-El Pomar Foundation Empty Stocking Fund. The agency’s services include a food and clothing pantry, emergency financial assistance, school supplies for children, senior supplemental groceries and holiday food and gifts.
Tri-Lakes Cares helped more than 1,000 people in 2008.
The agency also helped Keith’s family by providing Christmas gifts last year for two of his sons who were less than 18 years old.
And they introduced the contractor to the Pikes Peak Workforce Center.
“It’s given me job-hunting opportunities and training,” he said. “They would even give me a call personally if they had construction leads.”
As for tracking down leads, Tri-Lakes has supplied Keith with several gas vouchers to help him get to and from jobs or job interviews.
“We were at that point — and we still are in some respect — where we needed help,” he said. “When we’re able, I’d like to give back to them, whether with my time or talent.”
This has been the first time Keith and his family needed this kind of help. Keith received three free counseling sessions through Tri-Lakes.
“Just being able to talk with someone about what’s been going on with work and financial and medical issues helped so much,” he said. “It helped us know how to handle all of this as a family.”
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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.
