It was a warm, clear Tuesday evening in Eau Claire and we -- Brent, Tammy, Michelle & Rachel, Pastor Mike and myself (Karen) -- served about 40 people.
I'd like to share a story of a newer visitor, not to request anything for her but simply to share her situation. I've mentioned her in a previous journal, she's in her 70's, I believe, and in my first mention of her, she was noted to be wearing shoes with laces in only 2 or 4 eyelets to allow for her swollen feet and she uses a walker. She hasn't been around for awhile and when we noticed her at the Sojourner House, I jumped at the chance to talk with her. She is scheduled to have hip surgery on Wednesday due to a degenerative condition, and while that may seem somewhat routine to many of us, the logistics of her care pre-op to post-op are challenging. She reports having a trailer home in Black River Falls, WI but for safety reasons with her ambulation and the walker, she cannot get inside to live in the trailer so she's been living and sleeping in her shed, an 8 x 8 basic wooden structure. She managed to get a ride to Eau Claire on Tuesday but has no one to stay with and she needed to stay at the shelter. She needs to be at the hospital by 6am but the buses don't start early enough for her to get there in time. Her plan was to sleep for a while at the shelter and then traverse through the darkness to the hospital sometime during the night and spend the rest of her time on a bench at the ER, waiting for her 6am registration and pre-op procedures. She was hoping that post-operatively she would stay for at least 3 days, and she would then qualify for rehab and would have a place to recuperate. If, for whatever reason, she was not able to stretch her stay to 3 days, she would have no where to go but back to Black River Falls and again, she cannot safely be in her trailer and she faces staying in her shed. She's a spunky little lady and says she's not afraid of living in a shed or tent, she has no personal safety concerns but she is worried about having to change bandages, decreased mobility, and hygiene needs. She has a neighbor that would possibly help her with some of her concerns but the first hurdle would be to get her into her home, not the shed. I hope she will be proactive and talk to the hospital staff and social workers to prevent a return to Black River Falls any too soon.
We met another newcomer to the area, once again due to a relationship ending badly. He reports he had been living in South Carolina with a woman for a few years, they were in the Eau Claire area enjoying the lakes and rivers and after a conflict, the woman left him with nothing. He is originally from Kansas City, MO but plans on staying in this area for awhile for a fresh start. He said that its completely different from South Carolina, Brent and I assured him that the differences would be even more apparent in about six months when the cold sets in. Or sooner, I guess.
We saw many of our same long term friends. Some had the same routine tales to tell, others had new information to share. There was concern for the safety of one of the regulars who had been taking a new medication as prescribed but it was apparently too much for her. She was fortunate to have a companion with her to look out for her, we encouraged her to speak to a physician to change the medication or change the directions.
I'm including an item in our wish list but want to make a special note of it in hopes someone can locate it. We have a man in desperate need of clothing that we've been unable to find. He needs shorts 5XL, or pants we can turn into cut-offs, his waist size is 62. Any other clothing associated with this size would be appreciated, we haven't discussed underwear but I imagine that would be a need, as well. I think T-shirts would be 4-5XL +, tank tops would be best as I think that he cuts the T- shirt sleeves off for comfort. Thank you in advance for considering helping this man.
Please feel free to contact us if you're interested in volunteering. Hearing the stories firsthand and meeting these gentle souls is much more meaningful sometimes than reading our words. Please know any time, donations or prayers are so greatly appreciated by us and those we all are serving. Your kindness does not go unnoticed by the people who come to us, they are very grateful.
Karen
I'd like to share a story of a newer visitor, not to request anything for her but simply to share her situation. I've mentioned her in a previous journal, she's in her 70's, I believe, and in my first mention of her, she was noted to be wearing shoes with laces in only 2 or 4 eyelets to allow for her swollen feet and she uses a walker. She hasn't been around for awhile and when we noticed her at the Sojourner House, I jumped at the chance to talk with her. She is scheduled to have hip surgery on Wednesday due to a degenerative condition, and while that may seem somewhat routine to many of us, the logistics of her care pre-op to post-op are challenging. She reports having a trailer home in Black River Falls, WI but for safety reasons with her ambulation and the walker, she cannot get inside to live in the trailer so she's been living and sleeping in her shed, an 8 x 8 basic wooden structure. She managed to get a ride to Eau Claire on Tuesday but has no one to stay with and she needed to stay at the shelter. She needs to be at the hospital by 6am but the buses don't start early enough for her to get there in time. Her plan was to sleep for a while at the shelter and then traverse through the darkness to the hospital sometime during the night and spend the rest of her time on a bench at the ER, waiting for her 6am registration and pre-op procedures. She was hoping that post-operatively she would stay for at least 3 days, and she would then qualify for rehab and would have a place to recuperate. If, for whatever reason, she was not able to stretch her stay to 3 days, she would have no where to go but back to Black River Falls and again, she cannot safely be in her trailer and she faces staying in her shed. She's a spunky little lady and says she's not afraid of living in a shed or tent, she has no personal safety concerns but she is worried about having to change bandages, decreased mobility, and hygiene needs. She has a neighbor that would possibly help her with some of her concerns but the first hurdle would be to get her into her home, not the shed. I hope she will be proactive and talk to the hospital staff and social workers to prevent a return to Black River Falls any too soon.
We met another newcomer to the area, once again due to a relationship ending badly. He reports he had been living in South Carolina with a woman for a few years, they were in the Eau Claire area enjoying the lakes and rivers and after a conflict, the woman left him with nothing. He is originally from Kansas City, MO but plans on staying in this area for awhile for a fresh start. He said that its completely different from South Carolina, Brent and I assured him that the differences would be even more apparent in about six months when the cold sets in. Or sooner, I guess.
We saw many of our same long term friends. Some had the same routine tales to tell, others had new information to share. There was concern for the safety of one of the regulars who had been taking a new medication as prescribed but it was apparently too much for her. She was fortunate to have a companion with her to look out for her, we encouraged her to speak to a physician to change the medication or change the directions.
I'm including an item in our wish list but want to make a special note of it in hopes someone can locate it. We have a man in desperate need of clothing that we've been unable to find. He needs shorts 5XL, or pants we can turn into cut-offs, his waist size is 62. Any other clothing associated with this size would be appreciated, we haven't discussed underwear but I imagine that would be a need, as well. I think T-shirts would be 4-5XL +, tank tops would be best as I think that he cuts the T- shirt sleeves off for comfort. Thank you in advance for considering helping this man.
Please feel free to contact us if you're interested in volunteering. Hearing the stories firsthand and meeting these gentle souls is much more meaningful sometimes than reading our words. Please know any time, donations or prayers are so greatly appreciated by us and those we all are serving. Your kindness does not go unnoticed by the people who come to us, they are very grateful.
Karen