Our Story

On Christmas day of 2022 I called to wish my Uncle Jim a “Merry Christmas.” I was greeted with some confusion and uncertainty as he shared he was locked out of his house. This prompted me to call the local police department who were able to go out and assess his needs. They found him a bit disoriented with his keys around his neck allowing them access back into the house. After discussions with our family, my husband and I decided to drive to Arizona to see how we could help him. Upon arriving we immediately noticed how cold it was in the house and that Jim was uncharacteristically disheveled. This was not like him. He was one of the smartest and most capable people I knew. He shared he could not figure out why the heat was not turning on and why he could not get hot water. After a quick assessment and a few phone calls, we discovered his gas had been turned off 6 months earlier and he was days away from having the rest of his utilities cancelled for non-payment.

 

Jim then proceeded to show me around the house and shared he believed someone had been stealing from him. His neighbors later confirmed people coming and going, but did not know who to call. We then proceeded to go with him to the bank to see whether or not they had stolen from his accounts. The kind teller at the bank, who knew Jim well, mouthed to me, “I'm so glad you're here.”

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It was at that moment I realized we should have come more regularly to check on Jim. Perhaps we would have seen the post-it note reminders everywhere, the 2 alarm systems that had been installed over the top of each other, or the 3 cell phones and variety of other things for which he was in need of support. Looking back, I can see the signs he was struggling, but at the time I could not imagine the funny, witty, independently successful man we all knew was in such need.