Sarah’s Story

I’m the Vice Principal at a K-8 school. In February we got a new family with two brothers. One day, neither boy was at school. I called the mom to follow up, and she explained that they had to sleep in their car and were too tired to come to school.

She shared that she was getting divorced, and her former husband refused to send child support any longer. Although she worked, she could no longer afford the rent. She moved her three sons in with her sister, but they could only stay a few days. Then they moved in with a friend, but that
friend had four children, and seven children under one roof were just too much.

Since then, she had been using her weekly check to pay for a motel room as many nights as she could. She had found an apartment, but the landlord kept promising that it would be ready, week after week, and it wasn’t. I shared this story with Change for a dollar, then called the mom
and asked if I could drop off some resources for her.

When she peered inside the envelope, a smile crept across her face. I explained that this money came from Imago Dei, and that it was God’s way of speaking into her life and her boys’ lives. She was so excited, and asked if she could come and thank everyone at Imago. They had been
praying for help and support. Thank you to each of you who donate to Change for a Dollar, and to Imago for creating a program where Jesus can speak into people’s lives in such a positive and
concrete way.

Demi’s story

Demi’s Story

I teach parenting classes to low income families, where I met Shandra* and her 3 year old daughter Carly. I was
amazed at her positive attitude and constant smile, despite unfortunate circumstances. She always had a laugh
in her voice. Each week she would talk of her goals and ways she was seeking to improve her parenting skills.
Several times I found myself having a “Dora Dance Party” with them in the middle of their living room; Shandra
and Carly’s joy was just that contagious.

Recently, I noticed something had changed. Shandra shared that she was facing some unfortunate events: her
work hours had been reduced, she couldn’t pay her rent, and her daughter had somehow gotten. In addition,
Shandra was in the middle of a court battle to gain full custody of Carly. Her car had also broken down, meaning
a 3-hour bus ride each way to take her daughter to the father’s residence.

When I brought Shandra the Change for a Dollar gift, she was beyond shocked and grateful. I told her that God
loved her and I believed He had brought her into my life for this very moment – so He could tangibly show up in
her life with comfort and hope. She clung to me. When she finally let go of me, I told her to open the envelope.
Shandra looked up at me with her big wet eyes and said, “Demi, I just can’t.” Finally after several more hugs she
exclaimed, “I’ve been praying for this for so long…I’ve been hoping…and asking…and praying.”

On behalf of Shandra and myself, I would like to thank each of you at Imago Dei. Words cannot express our
gratitude for God’s people here, and for your willingness to contribute to others in your community. Thank you.

*names have been changed

Debbie’s Story

My husband and I met a woman a few years ago as w were searching for advice about our landscaping. As we worked alongside her we saw her as a strong, capable, and giving person running her own business.

 

Last year she lost almost everything in a short period of time. Her husband left her to be with a close friend of hers in another state. He also left owing years of taxes that he had evaded, and forfeited their house to pay the liens. She retained custody of their daughter, but struggled to provide for her without enough child support.

 

She then injured her leg so badly that she needed surgery. She couldn’t work to provide for her daughter, yet she couldn’t afford to repair her knee so she could work. She was disheartened and afraid.

 

In December I took her a check from Change for a Dollar. I put it inside a Brother/Sister book from Imago; I felt it would be beneficial for her to read of others in need and of God’s work in their lives.

 

This generous person was humbled and grateful. In her upbringing, she had never experienced people so completely willing to help a stranger in need. She said it was the best Christmas they’d had. She and her daughter put together a foster care box as a way of giving back. She’s had her surgery and will soon be able to look for a new job opportunity.

Laura’s Story

I run the arts and music nonprofit Vibe of Portland, and I got a call from a mom looking for something for her kids to do.

 They were living in a hotel. This was a step up from where they were living. They had escaped a domestic violence situation, and before the hotel they were living in a rundown RV with no heat or water; they lost their possessions when their storage unit was illegally auctioned off. They have absolutely nothing.

 Her kids are in an after-school program at one of the Love Portland schools. I asked if we as a church could help her; through local crisis resources they’ll be moving into an apartment in March, and the Change for a Dollar funds will buy sheets and towels and kitchen supplies.

 It was really fun to tell her that we would be able to do this. She was crying and laughing. “I have a giggle in my voice! I haven’t had a giggle in my voice for I don’t know how long. I’m excited to tell my kids that God’s been listening to our prayers. We’ve been praying every night that he would hear us, that he would see us, that he would take care of us.”

 With your seemingly small acts of generosity, you’re part of that.

 Since this story was shared…

 

  • One woman let me know that her daughter is moving and has a lot of things that this family could use – including a queen sized bed.
  • Another family just dropped off an entire set of dishes to my office this morning.
  • Another woman gave me a check for the mom so she could do something for herself – and it can only be used to do something luxurious because, as she wants me to tell her, our God is a luxurious God and wants his children taken care of!

Lydia’s Story…

Through her work in a Portland elementary school, Lydia became aware of a family living in a garage, expecting a newborn…

The family was living in an unheated garage with no bathroom or kitchen – just one room. They had to go in and out of their neighbor’s house for those amenities, and were getting their child ready for school in the school bathrooms.

I had worked trying to get them connected social service agencies, but had been unsuccessful since they were not considered “homeless” and in as dire need as other families. As the mom’s due date approached, I decided to reach out to Imago.

[The family was] overjoyed and filled with huge relief! 

It was really neat for me personally to see that when it seems all else fails, God is faithful. My non-believing school counselor was really touched and said, “Wow, this is kinda like a Christmas miracle!” It was also wonderful that my home community was willing to pitch in. They found adorable baby clothes, baby amenities, and other household items (laundry detergent, soap, towels). It was really amazing to see everyone’s generosity to this family.

Mom and new baby (almost two months old now!) are doing great. She has already returned to work and had a very short recovery. They are depending on neighbors for child care while their school-aged child is in school. They still are struggling financially but are very hard working (dad works two jobs, seven days a week) so are trying hard to make ends meet. They do not yet know Jesus, so I would pray that they would experience rest and comfort in this hard world.

-Lydia

Luke’s Story

I work for a non-profit affordable housing agency in outer southeast Portland. My job is to support the residents that live in our housing in a variety of ways. Although I spend time with a lot of people that live in poverty, a situation came up last week that fit great with the mission of Imago’s Change for a Dollar.

This man and his wife are Mexican immigrants who speak broken English and have three kids. He works for a friend doing a variety of construction jobs around the city. His ability to work ended suddenly when he was taking his son on a fishing trip a few weekends back. During this trip, his foot got caught between rocks as his body fell, breaking his ankle. He wasn’t sure how bad the problem was and declined to see a doctor because he didn’t have the $200 that it would cost. Eventually he went to the emergency room when the ankle worsened, and was told that he would have to stay off his feet for another 5-6 weeks. His wife now works a temporary part-time job while he stays at home.

After having a dream about giving this family Change for a Dollar, I approached Imago. I was able to give enough to cover next month’s rent, anticipating that a month without work will make next month’s rent hard to pay. Although he never asked for money, I was able to use my gift of speaking Spanish and take a blessing from God right into his home. He was taken aback by the act of love from a church, and sincerely wanted me to thank the church for their gift.

I am touched by the way a church is able to spread the love of God relationally with those outside the church. With Change for a Dollar, I was able to take a tangible blessing from God’s people, most of whom don’t even know Victor. I think it is the beauty of a unified church that gives a dollar in faith that God will use one of us to love in a significant way and to provide for the needs of our neighbors. It also empowers me to continue showing Christ’s love to this family in a relational way. I pray that God would continue to open our eyes to the way that we can come along to support those that may be going through valleys of darkness, and that God would continue to challenge us to love our neighbors more deeply.

Cally’s Story

This past week the school program I work with was the recipient of Change for a Dollar, and one family really was changed for a dollar or a few. Our program connects students and families to resources; we recognize that school can be difficult enough, and with the added stress of low income situations, hunger needs, addictions, and abuse school can be an even greater challenge to our students and their families.

It seems I am always getting calls from this parent or that depicting yet another familiar crisis. Only this time was a bit different. This was a single mother of three who was unexpectedly unable to pay this month’s rent, and needed assistance immediately. The difference was that this woman was proactive; she had some unexpected circumstances arise, and was determined not to lose her home. She was also determined to find a new job, and explained to me the all too common problem of not being able to actively search for a job when you are trying to keep yourself off the street.  This woman was smart in that she was calling every agency, non-profit, and housing assistance organization she could think of, and she decided to give our program at her child’s school a call.

My coordinator put in a referral for [aid for] her, then asked me if Imago Dei might be able to help; our referrals are put in to a lottery, and you never know if your client will be awarded assistance or not until a few weeks later. This woman needed the money immediately, so I gave Imago a call. It was so cool because Imago could give the woman the full amount of the rent she owed, and she was so wowed when I called her and told her that my church wanted to pay her late rent for her. She was blown away, and we were able to give all three of her children school supplies, groceries, and hygiene products. Then I called her a bit later to see how she was doing and she shared with me an awesome conversation she had with a woman at Pacific Power about getting an extension on her late power bill.

It was so cool to her that so much was working for her good. She now feels like once her power bill is paid – and, believe me, she is figuring out how to pay it – she will begin her job hunt! I am so moved by her determination and positive outlook. To see a client go from absolute despair to hope in a single day is so powerful, and I know that this mom will never forget the kindness extended to her through Change for a Dollar, and I am so grateful that I got to be a part of that!

Mitch’s Story

I work at Imago doing security and end up staying at the church pretty late each night. One evening I noticed a familiar face across the street next to a motor home. As I walked over, I realized it was a woman I had seen collecting a food box where I volunteer. We struck up a conversation and she humbly explained how her husband had become abusive, causing her to flee with her two daughters. They were now staying in their motor home, parked across from Imago. I noticed her front windshield was completely busted and asked her what had happened. She responded that some young kid had come by and recklessly smashed it in with his baseball bat. She went on to say how she had tried to receive help from some agencies, but had no luck. With winter coming, I was concerned for their warmth and especially the girls’ safety, so I told her I would see what I could do.

Thanks to Change for a Dollar I was able to organize a workman to fix her window that very same week. Afterward I went to check on them and they were so thrilled. The girls were playing with their dogs and were extremely kind. The mother seemed relieved and commented on how grateful she felt that someone would actually step up and show they care. She said “I woke up this morning, I was warm, I felt safe, and I could see clearly to drive.” I was glad to know they would be safe and warm, but even more how God used such a simple act of generosity on our congregation’s part to bless someone deeply.

Meg’s Story

Recently I got to participate in a miracle for one of my students. I’ve been working with Hannah* for over two years as she has pursued her Bachelor’s Degree. During that time she has visited the hospital for heart issues, back pain, migraines, the attempted suicide of a family member, lupus (which I thought only existed on House) and other traumas. She has remained strong through all of these crises and remained committed to school, even as we’ve had to turn her schedule upside down several times to try and make it work. 

About three weeks ago she called again because her daughter was going in for brain surgery, her financial aid had not come in as expected, and she was in danger of losing her truck and home without payments by August 30th. We were able to figure out what went wrong with the aid, but there are governmental rules and regulations about when and how funds can be given to students, and there was no way for that money to get to Hannah by August 30th. The brick wall was high and solid on this one.

I wondered what could be done to help with this real life crisis; without a truck she was going to have to quit school.  My mind wandered to my different communities and who I could ask for help, when it come upon Imago Dei Community, my church for the past five years, and Change for a Dollar. I knew these funds were used to help individuals in the community with immediate real world needs. But I had no idea how to ask, who to ask, or how those funding decisions were made. 

I emailed the church with a short description of the need.  At worst I wouldn’t hear back or it would be too late, but at best then we would be able to help Hannah focus on her daughter and not this looming deadline. A day later I heard back from one of the staff members, and a few days later I was talking with a pastor about why Hannah needed this help to give hope, to give peace, to give support during a time of crisis.  A week later I was walking away from the church office with funds from strangers; money given in belief that the hands and feet of the church can truly make a difference in this world.

When Hannah and I met later that morning, she shared about her daughter’s surgery and how her healing was progressing. Then she sat back in her chair. “Now I have no idea why we’re meeting…?” I responded that I had some very good news and handed her the envelope from Imago Dei. I explained the gift, and how much I wanted her to get to earn this degree she had been working and fighting so much for. I don’t think she really believed me for at least 10 minutes, as she didn’t touch the envelope on the table between us. Finally, as she picked it up and started to leave, she shared that she had been hoping and praying for a miracle, but had no idea how this was going to work out. I smiled, knowing that my church, my community, had been that miracle for her.

*name has been changed

 

Narrated by Meg DuMez

Close to Home - An Update

Susy works as a type 1 diabetes nurse educator, so when her infant niece Lucy [link to the “Close to Home” post] was diagnosed with the disease she was especially aware of what the family’s challenges would be.

 

It’s been a few months since Lucy’s diagnosis. Susy writes…

Lucy’s family is getting better adjusted to their new life with diabetes. Lucy is now having more low blood sugars recently and this is both dangerous and scary for the family. They are unpredictable most of the time, so the family is sleep deprived for sure.

They are more confident with daily routines such as insulin administration and carbohydrate counting, but they are always on guard watching for low blood sugars. I think they will always be cautious as a family, but I do hope some of the anxiety goes down and they get better quality sleep.

Lucy seems to be doing well and has her energy and personality back! She is such a great kid.

I have been praying for them that Lucy does not have any dangerous lows and that the family can find a sense of peace within the diabetes chaos. I communicate with the family several times a week with various questions. My heart goes out to them because I know what a challenge this truly is for them. I feel honored to be able to help them with diabetes education as they ask for it and when they are ready for it. I know if my child got diagnosed, I would want someone to call/ text both day and night. I am starting to see in so many ways how God has led me to this role in my life, at this time. Truly amazing!

 Thank you for your continued prayers – specifically for safe blood sugar levels! We all appreciate it!

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