It's Your Week: Our columnists humanize the struggle. Our readers raise hands to help.
The news can be so hard. This week especially. Our hearts are with those in Virginia, Colorado, Idaho and all over.
Sallee Ann here. And this is Your Week, a newsletter exclusively for Paste BN readers.
This week, we're capitalizing on the light.
We can't ignore
From Deputy opinion editor and national columnist Suzette Hackney:
It’s Thanksgiving week and I couldn’t be more grateful for Paste BN readers who jumped into action after I wrote a column about a Las Cruces, New Mexico family and their struggles with homelessness, joblessness and inflation.
Dawn Zephier, her five children and two grandchildren were homeless a year ago. And though they have since secured housing, they survive on the part-time salaries of two teenage boys who work at McDonald’s for minimum wage while finishing their senior year in high school.
Their story reflects the reality of millions of other Americans who are one step from living on the streets, one step from going to bed hungry each night. As inflation and food costs continue to rise, I want to share some of these stories. I want to humanize their struggles. These are Americans who we should not ignore.
I have learned that there are many empathetic and generous readers who do feel moved to help. Before my column published, I established contact with a number of nonprofit organizations that could serve as a financial agent for the Zephier family, before determining which one would work best. I found a need to do this after I wrote a similar column about a woman in Indiana who typically has $2 left each month after she pays her bills.
I received more than 400 emails and social media messages from those who wanted to buy her pizza and help her financially. People asked if they could send me checks, gift cards and household items to pass along. But as a journalist it’s not ethical for me to accept money or goods – even if it is on the behalf of someone else. So now I know to identify established nonprofits that can accept donations and help facilitate the direct monetary help to those I write about.
Zephier and I were exchanging text messages Wednesday, and she informed me that the nonprofit helping her has received an overwhelming amount of donations and several readers wanted to ensure her family had a ham and other food for Thanksgiving. She told me how blessed she felt that people cared enough to help.
And while Zephier is grateful for the monetary assistance and the food, she knows too well that there are other families living on the edge of poverty as well. “I really would like to donate some of the money to another family in need,” Zephier wrote. “There’s so many that are struggling and I feel the need to help.”
Zephier is in need and wants to help others. What a strong, generous and loving woman. I, too, am grateful for her.
Happy Thanksgiving.
More hopeful news:
- This Iowan donated thousands of meals when disaster struck. Now, his free food movement is national.
- A 7-year-old boy battling leukemia always wanted to be a garbage man. His wish came true.
- For her first birthday party at 105, she wanted 105 cards. She got 1,200 – and counting.
- This bird hadn't been seen by researchers in over 140 years. They finally spotted it.
Thank you
All of us at Paste BN are thankful for our subscribers. Your support makes our work possible and our work together has real, measurable impact. Thank you.