CASE 98 • L is an energetic, creative and engaging 11-year-old, but he struggles with regulating his emotions. He’s been hospitalized multiple times over the last year. L and his two older sisters were placed in foster care in 2012 because their parents are drug addicts. They were fortunate: Their aunt, Ms. T, adopted them. Things are tough, though; Ms. T works full time but struggles to meet the financial needs of her new family. They need a lot of counseling sessions and psychiatric appointments. The house is in desperate need of updates that Ms. T can’t afford. There’s no money for extras, and nothing in the budget for Christmas. They could use help with utility bills and repairs.
CASE 99 • P and W love life and each other. But at ages 67 and 76, the married couple are finding it more difficult to keep up their home. Their furnace barely passed inspection, and some of their furniture was damaged in flooding this year. They could use clothing, bedding, lamps and end tables.
CASE 100 • F is 16 years old and was molested by a family member. The trauma she endured led to her being hospitalized recently for depression after she attempted suicide. Her mother, Ms. W, struggles to care for F and her three siblings, ages 11, 6 and 3. The youngest was born prematurely and has a hole in her heart. Ms. W asks for help paying utility bills, including $1,115 to Spire. She also asks for gift certificates, bath towels, sheets, utensils, clothes and toys for her kids.
Case profiles by Sara Bryan Miller, Marcia L. Koenig and Leah Thorsen of the Post-Dispatch.
