Moving Forward

Charlotte suffered years of abuse at the hands of her husband. The violence stopped when she called police and pressed charges. The police took her to the Family Justice Center where she developed a safety plan while police searched for her husband. Once he was behind bars and a civil protection order was in place, Charlotte began applying for jobs to support her family. For 13 years, her husband provided the sole source of income for the family. Now Charlotte needed a job to take care of her children. She applied for numerous jobs but without a current work history or college degree, she struggled to re-enter the workforce.

Charlotte learned about opportunities in the trucking industry from her aunt. Charlotte was thrilled to find a five-week training program that guaranteed job placement by graduation with local companies that required limited short-term trips. Charlotte knew with a stable, well-paying job she could care for her children as a single parent and move forward. Through your support of Gifts of the Magi, Charlotte received $2,195 to offset some of the cost for the Truck Driver Training program.

I am forever grateful for this opportunity to create a new life for my family. We lived in fear and darkness so long. Your gift is like a ray of sunshine after stormy weather.

Thank you and God Bless,
Charlotte

Regaining Mobility

St. Vincent de Paul learned that Kathleen was unable to leave her home for two years because Medicaid did not cover the cost of portable oxygen. So Kathleen lived isolated at home, tethered to a huge oxygen tank. Her local SVDP conference began assisting Kathleen by paying for portable oxygen, but the 18-pound oxygen tanks were difficult to carry. Kathleen labored to breathe and the heavy tanks took a toll on her heart. Kathleen also received a grant from a pharmaceutical company to offset her annual co-payments for a daily medication that retails for $90,000 a year. Combined with other required medical treatments, her family often chose between refilling the oxygen tanks and critical home and auto repairs. When Kathleen’s husband received a raise, the family rejoiced. However, the celebration was short-lived. His raise put the family over the poverty guideline for receiving grants to offset medical expenses.

The Gifts of the Magi provided Kathleen with $2,009 to offset the cost for oxygen equipment that will solve her oxygen insecurity for years to come and allow her to continue being active in her parish.

I received my portable oxygen concentrator that was purchased by your organization, and I cannot begin to express my gratefulness. I suffer from Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension that makes it difficult for me to breathe. It makes activities that were once routine difficult, or even, out of reach. I used to have to carry oxygen tanks wherever I went. I had to carry them over my shoulder, or drag them behind me in a metal cart. Shopping at the grocery store was difficult. I always worried whether or not I would have enough portable oxygen to last me for the month, or if I could even afford to purchase more. I no longer have these worries. Having this new machine has returned some of the freedom to me that my disease has taken away, and I am truly grateful.

Forever Grateful,
Kathleen

Securing a Home

Maribel and her nine-year-old daughter slept on the floor of a friend’s apartment. Maribel met kind people at Mass one Sunday who encouraged her to reach out to the Su Casa Hispanic Center. Maribel is seeking asylum and rebuilding her life here. One day her friend moved out of the apartment and left Maribel with overdue rent. While she just received her first paycheck working for a cleaning company, she did not have enough money to avoid eviction. Maribel was scared she and her daughter would end up homeless. Su Casa assisted Maribel in working with the landlord who transferred the apartment lease to her.

Through your support of Gifts of the Magi, Maribel received $1,115 for rent and a security deposit to avoid becoming homeless.

My daughter and I will be eternally grateful to all of you for your generosity and for helping us secure a home here in Cincinnati. You were the angels that God put in our path to save us! I have never had a place of my own, never. I don’t know how to pay you for all the help you and the Su Casa staff have been giving us in times of desperation and uncertainty. We left Guatemala trying to save our lives. We had been sleeping on the floor until we found help of Su Casa. We finally found a place to stay and the opportunity to live again and be safe. Thanks to your gift, we have a home!

Always grateful,
Maribel

GIFTS OF THE MAGI Donor Intent Card
Enclosed please find my donation for “Gifts of the Magi”
In the amount of $ Donor’s Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________
City:  _______________________________________________State: _____________ Zip:_______________
Email: _________________________________________________________________________________
Make checks payable to Gifts of the Magi. Mail this form and your contribution to:
Gifts of the Magi Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio 7162 Reading Road, Suite 600, Cincinnati, Ohio 45237
All donations are tax-deductible. Donor lists are not sold nor provided to any other organization

Gifts of the Magi began in 1993 as a cooperative project between “The Catholic Telegraph,” the Archdiocesan Council of the Society of St. Vincent DePaul, and Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio. The project focuses on using money in ways that will allow families to bring about long-term change. Many parishes now use Gifts of the Magi cases for their Christmas giving trees, asking parishioners to donate a small portion of what each family needs. We are grateful to those parishes for their support and encourage others to consider joining in the project. We give thanks most of all to our readers for their generosity of money and spirit.