That's disheartening

I have a friend who has been going through a rough time, both health-wise, and consequentially, financially-wise, as he has not been able to work, so his wife has been working frantically to keep a roof over the head of the two of them and their very small children (2 and 4).

Facing eviction right around Thanksgiving has to be a nightmare. I know, I've had a couple of times when the the only thing that saved me was help from my family, in just this timeframe, and I have been evicted once after being partialy laid-off, although it was in spring, and I was thankfully able to find a place to move to. But it has to be worse when you have a family to worry about at well.

I've done what I can to help, and I'm hoping very much that if one programme he has an appointment with next week comes through, they'll have what they need. The thing is, though, he's talked to lots of charities, and although I recognise that charitable giving is down, resources are tight, etc., etc., two things he was told were fairly disheartening.

One--some charities have the funds to help, but prefer to wait till Christmas to disburse them. That makes Christmas all warm and fuzzy, but I don't really thing Christ would say to give to the poor just for his birthday (which let's face it, isn't really anyway, all indications being he was born in the spring) and let them be homeless and needy the rest of the year.

They were also told that because his wife has a college degree, and they're hard-working with families that are considered 'semi-affluent', that they don't qualify for help. I'm not sure what his family situation is, but he's been ill for most of the year and they've probably exhausted what resources they have, from what I gather. His wife was in the middle of a career change when everything hit the fan and while thankfully she has a job, it is in the low-end of the career, and does not pay well. We're in an oeconomy where a six-figure executive can find himself homeless in a very short time, much less a family struggling to get by very little income. Instead, it sounds like if they'd both dropped out of high school, gotten involved with drugs, and starting cranking out lots of babies, they'd be in a better position.

So that's a bit disheartening. But I have great hope about the agency next week, and that they can get the money together. But I worry because they'll still be behind, and I'm not sure what can help get them out of the hole altogether. They are not living in a large or expensive apartment, etc., and I'm not sure they could find a cheaper one of that quality in Lexington. And there will probably be no Christmas to speak of for the kids.

Anyway, I had to vent just a little. All of this has put more stress on his health, and on his family. So, please, think good thoughts for them, and pray for them if you do.