Eviction averted thanks to a flurry of phone calls
Blog written by John Webb Sr., Salvation Army social services intern
How did The Salvation Army impact a family’s life during the past month?
It started with this voicemail:
Hello. I am calling to try and get help for my mother. She is disabled and is being evicted from her home of 30 years. Someone told me you might be able to help. I am so desperate.
I called the daughter right away. She explained the details of her mother’s tragic story and said a local sheriff had given her 24 hours to vacate the home. Time was of the essence.
Immediately I called the mother’s landlord and asked him for leniency. I explained why the mother had not been able to pay: a major furnace breakdown and $2,000 worth of unexpected car repairs had landed on her all at once. To compound matters, she had suffered a heart attack recently, and her own mother had died within the past year.
The landlord understood, but said he could do nothing to reverse the eviction without proof that the mother could pay the delinquent balance. After we hung up, I began to make a flurry of phone calls in search of a solution.
My efforts were successful. Miraculously, one of our donors agreed to provide special financial assistance. I sent the landlord proof that The Salvation Army was going to help, just hours before the sheriff was coming to place the mother’s belongings on the sidewalk. The eviction process was halted just in time. This mother would not be homeless today.
I was thrilled to help this mother and her daughter. The daughter reminded me of myself when I was caring for my own mother several years ago. I was just as desperate, and there were many times when I made similar calls to get help. When my cries for help were answered, it inspired me to become an advocate for others in need.
I thank God for the vast resources He provides through The Salvation Army and its supporters. Each morning, I ask God to ride with me and guide my thoughts and actions so that I can be of maximum service to people who need help.
It is now clear to me that while I was helping and praying for this mother and daughter, God was not just riding along. He was driving.
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