Mr. and Mrs. X came to Jewish Family Service because they were frantic about how they were going to survive their current situation. They had recently lost their small privately owned business when a fire swept through their store. The investigation suggested arson and Mr. X was devastated wondering if someone he knew had set the fire. His depression deepened and he was hospitalized following thoughts of suicide. Mrs. X has health issues which prevent her from working and though she receives disability benefits they were too far in debt to catch up. They had exhausted help from family and friends who had been helping them but could no longer provide financial assistance. The couple had moved to a smaller and less costly apartment as a way to try to meet their expenses.

The couple came to Jewish Family Service when the crises hit them the hardest: their teenage son had refused to go to school and after days of being home had made a suicide attempt. When he was hospitalized he revealed how embarrassed he had been by changes in his family’s life style, their move to a new neighborhood and he was especially ashamed that he could not be with his friends because there was not even money to take a bus or buy a hot chocolate with them. There was no money for any items that were not essential. When Mr and Mrs. X came to our office we discussed their situation and determined that if Neighbor to Neighbor could pay their phone, fuel and utility bills, totaling more than $1000, it would not only avert shut offs but would enable the family to get back on track, meet their expenses, and have some small amount of cash for allowance for their son. The family seemed restored by the kindness of those who helped make N2N happen.