Ecumenical Ministries HAVEN House

My wife and I are in our mid-60’s.  We were middle class, having raised two kids and worked hard as laborers our whole lives.  Our friends were all retiring and we were struggling to put a meal on the table.  At 65 you shouldn’t have to eat only once per day or skip your medicine or turn the heat to 55.  We never thought we would need a place like HAVEN House.  I could barely make the call to ask for help because I was ashamed not to be able to provide for my wife and myself.  We both had full time jobs, and then I got pneumonia and had to take two weeks off.  I went back to work too soon and ended up having to take a month off from work to recover.  I lost my job and my wife’s pay couldn’t cover our bills, especially all our medication.  I had a heart problem and needed daily medication.  We couldn’t pay our rent and then the utilities got behind.  We sold a car and kept the old junker, but it only ran when the temperature was above 40, kind of like me.  We were evicted and stayed for a while with one of our adult children and family.  We displaced a family member from their bedroom.  Needless to say, this didn’t make for any happy family members.  After several weeks we all knew it just wasn’t working.  I was trying to get temporary jobs but I never seemed to get there early enough in the morning to get picked regularly.  We moved to HAVEN House and it was a relief to have a little space of our own.  With help from the folks at HAVEN House I got into a prescription plan.  With their encouragement I contacted our old landlord and made repayment plans with him and the utilities.  It wasn’t much but we were trying and that meant a lot to us.  We got new tires on the car so we could feel safe driving in bad weather.  They helped me in my job search by making phone calls, polishing my resume and sending me to computer training for folks with two left hands.  I got a decent job with benefits and then they hired my wife.  We work the same shift and are bale to ride together, eat together and have the same days off.  We have moved to our own place and paid off our old landlord and our outstanding utility bill.  It feels like a fresh life.  These folks know their stuff.  They will help you help yourself.  They really encourage you to get out there and do something.  Now the wife and I donate time to them every month.  I have told my story for the United Way.  Everyone, the staff and volunteers work hard and we can see from our experience that they really care about people.