CHRISTMAS FOR ALL: Disabled woman struggles to raise great grandsons

As part of the annual Press Christmas for All Campaign, we share with readers the stories of those applying for help. This is one of them.

“Penny,” 64, is a single woman raising her two great-grandsons following a family crisis that resulted in her granddaughter being incarcerated. The boys lived in Spokane at the time and came to live with Penny in Post Falls.

“Before the boys came to live with me I was doing OK with my life,” Penny said. “I had just enough to cover all of my needs.”

Though it's been difficult to make ends meet with such a large adjustment, Penny is pleased to have them. She's jumped in without hesitation to care for the boys as best she can.

On disability, Penny has a very limited income and lives in a one-bedroom subsidized apartment. When the boys — ages 6 and 7 — arrived, Penny gave them her bedroom so they could have a space of their own. Now on the waiting list at St. Vincent de Paul for a larger apartment, Penny was told it could be nine months to a year before one becomes available.

“We’ve been surviving,” Penny told Press Christmas For All. “We do it one day at a time.”

Penny is careful and creative with her income and manages to make it stretch.

Those from the Post Falls Food Bank who know her say she's self-sufficient.

“She is always trying to get herself in a better position to take care of herself,” the referring partners said. “Now with the boys she continues to look for ways to get their needs met. (We) truly believe she is on a mission to succeed in giving her great-grandsons the most stable, healthy home she can.”

Penny’s request for help from Christmas For All would be used to purchase new tires for her vehicle and help to enroll the boys in a physical activity like karate or gymnastics.

The boys need a physical outlet, Penny said. For now, she's able to take them bowling every so often.

“The 6-year-old still uses the bumpers,” Penny said. “But the 7-year-old is really getting the hang of it.”

Bowling is something Penny enjoyed with her parents when she was little and that she did with her own kids while they were growing up.

A little bit of help could help this small family thrive.

Each year, Press readers donate generously to the program. Every penny raised is distributed to Kootenai County residents. All overhead costs are covered by The Hagadone Corp.

The gift recipients are our neighbors who are struggling, including the elderly, disabled, veterans, homeless and mentally ill. Many who seek assistance from Christmas for All are working, but living in poverty.

Beneficiaries of Press Christmas for All keep their dignity while the community provides a hand up to help get them back on their feet.

Press Christmas for All is managed by The Hagadone Corp., with assistance from CharityReimagined.Org. It is a legally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit, run entirely by volunteers.

Here are four ways to donate:

• Mail a check to Press Christmas for All, 215 N. Second St., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.
• Call The Press and make a secure credit card donation over the phone: 208-664-8176
• Go to cdapress.com. Click on the MENU button, then click on Christmas for All 2021.
• Drop off your check at The Press weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.: 215 N. Second St. in downtown Coeur d'Alene.