"All We Need is a Little Firewood"

Despite everything, all they needed was firewood. "Ken" has been caring for his elderly wife while she struggles with treatments for a rare form of slow growing cancer. For several years, he has been taking her to appointments, comforting her when the treatments make her feel ill, and cleaning, cooking and doing the yard work when she isn't able to help. But as life tends to do sometimes, they were knocked for another loop when his doctor told him HE had brain cancer! They were devastated. They had never had to ask for help before but the medical bills were mounting and they couldn't afford their next delivery of fire wood to heat their home for the winter. When they came to POM, the first thing Ken said was, "We don't need anything more than a little wood to get us through." Our case workers sat with them for awhile and listened. As the minutes went by, the couple relaxed, beginning to feel that it is okay to ask for help sometimes. That's why we are here! That's why this community is so amazing! None of us has to do this alone; our neighbors care. Our neighbors will help. We paid for enough wood to get them through the next couple months and also paid their PSE bill, so they would have a little bit more to help with the medical bills. Most of all, they know that through POM, this community will be here when they need us, we will listen, we will comfort and we will help. We are so grateful to YOU our community, that gives us the ability to provide a safe place for the "Ken and Julies" in our neighborhoods.