cHRISTMAS 2025

Tim’s story begins with a wife, a successful career, and an unimaginable loss. As a senior director at a company that designs rockets, Tim was once honored with a Perseverance Award for his leadership and dedication. Little did he know that same perseverance would one day carry him through one of the darkest chapters of his life.

In 2020, Tim’s wife of nearly twenty years was diagnosed with cancer. Just four months later, she passed away. Overwhelmed by grief, Tim struggled to cope and turned to alcohol. “I was struggling with an illness…I was an alcoholic and [using] drugs,” he shared. One week turned into two weeks, two weeks turned into four weeks, and before he knew it, three years had passed.

Two months prior to the interview, the butterfly costume on her puppy and the pretty blouse she wore would have seemed like an unachievable dream.

Michelle found herself unhoused after fleeing a domestic violence situation. With no money, no job, and no roof over her head, her dog was her only protector. Still, cute Camile, while a steadfast companion, was not able to defend against illness.

Michelle was sleeping outside a hospital, “I was very, very sick. Defecating all over myself for three days…I couldn’t move.”

People were walking over her, her clothing only becoming dirtier as she continued to sleep on the streets. “I gained enough courage to go to the bathroom in the library,” She said, which was where the Catholic Charities team found her, sobbing in soiled clothing.

Gigi’s journey with Catholic Charities began as a volunteer at St. Brigid’s Parish, one of our cherished distribution sites. With a warm smile and open heart, she helped hang flyers and rally the community when the site was first opening its doors. She never imagined that one day she would find herself on the receiving end, needing the very support she once offered so joyfully.

“But I did lose my benefits for a little while, due to my lack of getting the paperwork in on time, and during that time that I did not receive them, I really realized how much I count on them,” Gigi explains.

 Earlier in the interview, she explained that nowadays she can get along with less and make things work, but no one in our senior community should have to go through this.