To help, go to 100neediestcases.org to adopt a family or make an online donation.
Case 1: Ms. R is a 65-year-old grandmother who cares for seven of the 15 grandchildren in her family. She can’t work because of an injury from a former job and relies on disability payments, causing her to count on others to take her to doctors’ appointments, thrift stores and food banks. Her late husband helped a lot with the children, but since he died, life has gotten tougher. Despite the difficulties she faces, Ms. R still manages to help others when she can. But this holiday season, she could use some help making celebrations special. She and the grandchildren would appreciate help with clothing for her and the growing kids, as well as toys, gift certificates, furniture, rent and utilities.
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Case 2: Ms. Q is a 35-year-old mother of eight wonderful children, but this year has been especially tough for her and her kids. They lost their home and are staying with a relative, and Ms. Q recently lost custody of one of her children. She struggles to meet her autistic son’s needs. Several of the kids were in a car crash recently, and one of the youngest fractured her arm. Despite the setbacks, Ms. Q maintains a positive attitude and hopes someone will adopt her family this year by donating for clothing, gift certificates, toys and furniture. They would greatly appreciate any help that could make the holiday season more cheerful.
Case 3: Ms. T is a 43-year-old mother of four children who suffer from mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder. Two of her sons have been diagnosed with autism. Her husband couldn’t handle the stress, and so Ms. T and her children were put out of their home and lived in a homeless shelter for four months. Her oldest son experienced the shooting on the shared campus of Central Visual and Performing Arts High School and Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience last year. Dealing with the trauma from gun violence on top of his previous depression has been incredibly hard. Ms. T is undaunted when it comes to helping her kids, and hopes to receive help this year with clothing, gift certificates and toys so she can brighten the holidays for her family.
Case 4: Ms. A and her family have had a tough year. The 35-year-old mother of two has tried to help her family recover after a shooting at a relative’s home left the father of Ms. A’s children, Mr. B, with multiple gunshot wounds. The tragedy killed an uncle and left the family with a permanent scar. Mr. B is seeking disability support, and it has been almost impossible for him to continue working in the meantime. One of the family members struggles with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and also recently had to have knee surgery. On top of all that, Ms. A lives with anxiety and depression. The family’s struggles have made it difficult to maintain balance and stay ahead of household expenses. Her kids, ages 9 and 16, are especially close, and she and their father hope to give them some happiness this holiday season. They would greatly appreciate any help with food, utilities, rent, clothing, furniture and toys.
Case profiles by Kelsey Landis
As part of the 100 Neediest Cases campaign, an art contest is held for high school and college students to illustrate 'need'. The art accompanies the stories published in the Post-Dispatch. Donate here. Video by Allie Schallert, aschallert@post-dispatch.com
