“I felt like my feet were cut off, and I was invisible.
Crossroads helped me get back on my feet and made me feel visible and hopeful.”
Today, Deborah’s eyes are bright and her voice is buoyant. But when she first
came to Crossroads Ministry about a year-and-a-half ago, her situation was
overwhelming.
Deborah is partially disabled
from an injury she suffered while working at her previous job. She came to
Estes Park to help her grandmother but, after her grandmother’s death, had no
place to live and found herself in a desperate situation. Although Crossroads
could not locate affordable housing for her in those difficult days, we were
able to provide food, a few basic household items, and even firewood on one
occasion, until the joyous day last year when she finally made it to the top of
the Estes Park Housing Authority’s waiting list.
“She is a model client,” says Case Manager Eva Bañuelos.
“Deborah cheerfully complies with all of our requests to keep her information
current, and she completed our two money management classes right away. It’s
been wonderful to watch her progress.”
Although her only income is a small disability check, until
recently the assistance Deborah received from Crossroads Ministry was mainly in
the form of food from our pantry, along with two small copays for prescription
medication, and a utility deposit to help her move into the low-income housing that
is the only thing standing between her and homelessness.
In the meantime, Crossroads was able to help in other
ways, including referrals to Salud Clinic (“My doctor there is the best I’ve
ever had,” Deborah says), and assistance applying for food stamps. “Crossroads
connected me with someone who donated a wonderful memory foam twin mattress and
bed, too,” she added. The joint Crossroads Ministry and LLEV (Lifelong Learning
of Estes Valley preschool) annual Spring Sale in 2016 also provided a way for Deborah
to get other basic furnishings in her new living quarters.
When she stopped by a few days ago to complete Crossroads
Ministry’s routine annual client recertification, Eva asked about her goals for
the coming year. “It’s been 11 years since I had a new pair of glasses,”
Deborah said. “My sister has given me some frames that will work fine, and I
hope to make getting new lenses a priority.” She also needed some repairs on
her car.
On April 11, Deborah stopped by with face aglow to share
with us how much she appreciates her new glasses, made possible in part by a
small grant from the Rotary Club of Estes Park (noon rotary). An additional
assist with much-needed car repairs, thanks to Crossroads Ministry’s
partnership with the Estes Park Extension Salvation Army, further helped to
ensure that she will remain safe and as independent as possible.
“When I was at my most desperate, Crossroads helped make
it possible for me to stand again,” Deborah told Executive Director Tim
McLemore. She gladly gave us permission to share her story, including her name
and an uplifting photo, as a way to express her heartfelt appreciation.
Jesus said, The Spirit
of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the
poor. He has sent me to
proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the
oppressed go free, to proclaim the year
of the Lord’s favor.
—from Luke
4:18–19 (NRSV)
