LIMA — Daniel and Sarah just want their daughter, Addi, 7, to feel like things are normal this Christmas.
This would be despite the fact they both lost their jobs due to the pandemic and have been forced to split up and care for her at Daniel’s parent’s house.
“I guess it probably all started when COVID hit,” Sarah said. “It just got rough because we had jobs, but then the whole position was taken away because we were working at a buffet, and they couldn’t do buffets. And then I got health issues. So then I didn’t get to go back to work.
“Then he went back to work, and then he worked there for a while, and then he just lost his job. So then without me and him working, we can’t afford our place. But we actually just found a place that will do low-income that will help us until we get a place. You start all over because we had to sell our stuff to get by. So now we’re starting off fresh. So I don’t know I guess losing our jobs is just when it went downhill.”
The family did not think that they would get picked to be featured in today’s Adopt a Stocking story, but they will take any help they can get to give Addi a normal Christmas.
“My little girl needing Christmas, I think that was the hardest thing,” Sarah said. “I don’t like her to know. Just because we’re struggling with stress, she doesn’t need to know. And a kid can’t wake up without anything under the tree. Do you know how devastating that would be?”
Before the pandemic, they could’ve been the ones helping.
“Usually, we’re the ones trying to help, but now it’s our turn,” Sarahs said. “Sometimes you hear about people trying to take advantage of this game, but we were blessed. So to get help on top of it would be crazy.”
For Addi, who Daniel and Sarah describe as a really good girl who still believes in Santa, that could mean giving her virtually any presents.
“My daughter is a little thankful girl,” Sarah said. “You can get her anything, and she’ll be so thankful, and that’s why it’s so hard.”
Daniel added, “Like she said, she’s definitely not a picky kid. She’s thankful for whatever types of toys.”
Sarah did say that Addi, who has grown out of her clothing, would fit in size 10 clothing and size 1 shoes.
Above all, Daniel and Sarah are concerned with this, even as they work hard to figure out the myriad of other obstacles they face, including finding a new place to live, new jobs and getting Daniel’s car fixed.
“That’s the main thing for me,” Daniel said. “I’ll be able to make whatever else happen. For her to be able to just wake up and have something is the main important thing for me, and for her to not be able to see the other side of things, to worry about being a kid and not have to worry about, ‘Oh, well why isn’t this going that way? Everybody else said they got this and that for Christmas.’ A kid should be able to be a kid.”
Finding work remains a priority,
“Getting back to working honestly, that’s our main trouble right now,” said Sarah, who after catching COVID and being forced to quit working developed bad anxiety and depression to go with her already problematic asthma symptoms. “We’ve never been through something like this. We’ve always been able to work, and it’s rough.
”I have health problems and stuff, but I feel like I’m getting better to start so I can help him take some stress off. We didn’t see him losing his job. That came out of nowhere. And right before Christmas. And we stayed in the home that the owners happened to be the landlord of.”
None of this is to say that Daniel and Sarah would not both be graciously accepting any help they receive to start over, whether it be something to fix the car, which they need to transport Addi to school and go to work, household items or a washer and dryer, which was sacrificed when space to store it was lost.
“She still has to go to school,” Sarah said. “We don’t want to switch her school because we’re trying to hide everything from her. And it’s so hard. But we’re starting fresh from everything. And we had our house with everything. Now we don’t have anything. And we’re about to start fracturing. So honestly, anything would help at this point.”
Even before they have received any help, Sarah said that she has taken to heart what it means to get noticed and that other families should not hesitate to reach out if they need help.
“Don’t give up, and if you really need help, there is help,” she said. “Don’t take advantage. If you really need it, just get help and reach out to the community because the community really will help.”
ADOPT A STOCKING
The Adopt a Stocking Fund benefits families during the holiday season. Monetary donations can be made by mail by sending a check to Adopt A Stocking; c/o The Salvation Army; P.O. Box 234, Lima, OH 45801, or they can be dropped off at the Salvation Army, 614 E. Market St., Lima. They can also go online at give.salvationarmy.org/stocking. All material donations for a specific family should be dropped off at The Salvation Army and should include a copy of the article or the date the story appeared in The Lima News. See past stories at LimaOhio.com/tag/stocking.
Reach Jacob Espinosa at 567-242-0399.
