LIMA — It is not yet lit, as half of the strands of lights do not work, but Brandy’s Christmas tree stands in the corner of her living room, the silent promise of joyous festivities to come once the boughs receive their appointed decorations. Like that tree, Brandy remains hopeful for brighter days ahead.
Those brighter days revolve around Brandy’s son, Jacob, now nearly 2. After struggling for a time with substance abuse and addiction, Brandy said she is determined to give her son the best life she can, even as a single mom.
“Even if it’s just the two of us, I want to do everything I can to give him a good life,” Brandy said.
That effort was interrupted last year after Brandy endured a severely traumatic situation, forcing Jacob to be removed from the home to allow Brandy to receive needed treatment and therapy. That removal, however, made recovery difficult for Brandy, who now had to face the additional trauma of not having her son at home with her.
“I understand why they did it,” she said. “But it was hard recovering from being separated from him.”
Brandy was thankful that she was able to maintain contact with Jacob even during their separation through visits with his foster family. After six months of treatment, Brandy was able to bring Jacob home earlier this year, and it has been helpful having him with her to help maintain her focus, having that reminder every day of why she is working to make a better life for herself and her family, she said.
Currently, Brandy is unemployed, and without a vehicle, she is seeking employment at businesses within walking distance, now that Jacob is enrolled at a daycare center.
“I want to find a job somewhere I can walk to work and be off in time to pick him up when he’s done at daycare,” she said.
In the meantime, she is continuing her work in creating a good home life for Jacob. However, she said she could use some help with new clothes as he is now transitioning into size 2T, and he also wears size 4 diapers.
“He does have a winter coat now,” she said.
For toys and entertainment, Jacob enjoys trucks, Fisher Price Little People toys, Cocomelon and anything Mickey Mouse.
“I want to get him one of those roadway mats where he can play with his trucks,” Brandy said.
Brandy is also hoping for help with plastic covering for her widows and doorways, with a open gap at the bottom of the doorway letting cold air in and placing a strain on her electric bill, since she has electric heat.
“That cold air comes in along the floor, and that is where he plays,” she said.
Brandy could also use some help with obtaining household cleaners and hygiene products, and while she has the capacity for an electric stove in her apartment, she currently does not own one. She is also searching for a toddler bed for Jacob, along with bedding.
“[His bed] was supposed to turn into a toddler bed, but there are no bars to keep him from falling off,” she said.
ADOPT A STOCKING
The Adopt a Stocking Fund benefits families during the holiday season. Monetary donations can be given online at give.salvationarmy.org/stocking or via Adopt A Stocking; c/o The Salvation Army; P.O. Box 234, Lima, OH 45801. All material donations for a specific family should be dropped off at The Salvation Army, 614 E. Market St., Lima, 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 Craig Kelly at 567-242-0391.
