Brian and his parents went through a terrible crisis where everything they owned was lost.  But as his mom Kathy said, “They were just things, they can be replaced.  God is so good to us.”

Years of trying to pick up the pieces and start over proved too hard for Kathy’s husband Richard.  He dislocated a knee for which knee replacement surgery was necessary.  His blood pressure continued to rise, his diabetes was out of control and his health continued to spiral downhill.

One night he was rushed to a local emergency room with severe chest pains.  The doctor examined him and concluded that he was not having a heart attack but the pain was stress related.  He was given a prescription and sent home.  Later that same night Brian was taken to the emergency room and was given a prescription for an infection.  He told the doctor that he did not have the money to fill his prescription and neither did his dad have the money for his prescription.  The doctor told Brian to call New Hope Ministries and ask for our help to get the prescriptions filled.

The next morning Brian and his mother came in.  You could see the stress on Kathy’s face and the embarrassment she felt at having to ask for help.  We prayed together and thanked God for the doctor who suggested they come to New Hope so that we could help them. 

During the interview we learned that they had no heating oil and that the one electric heater was not doing a very good job of heating the house.  We were able to help them get fuel that same day.  We also gave them the application to apply for food stamps and medical assistance.

Kathy had interviewed and was hired for a job starting the next afternoon.  She was so happy to have gotten this job and could hardly wait to start earning an income.

Other services we were able to provide included transportation assistance, food, gasoline, clothing, shoes,  health share referrals and a real sense of security knowing that as long as New Hope Ministries is here we will continue to help families in need just like theirs.

Editor’s note: When publishing a story like this, we change our clients' names to protect their privacy. Their testimonies are true and factual although we do edit for content and length. They are real people right here in our local community – they are our neighbors. Remember, we share because YOU care.