Lubbock Area United Way News - June 14, 2009

Scenes From Catholic Family Service

One Mother's Day

The mother of a local family had broken her dentures that she had worn for 16 years. She cried and cried that she could not attend church on Mother's Day without her dentures. They were so bad that in an attempt to fix them so she could eat, she even tried gluing the dentures together.

The family worried that it would take them months and months to save enough to pay for new dentures, until they found the Catholic Family Services Elderly Assistance program. They were so grateful and appreciative for the assistance. The daughter said, "I can not express how grateful we are to you and your agency, nor my lack of words does any justice to how my heart feels right now."

The Toothache

A 68 year old woman felt very embarrassed that she needed to ask for assistance, but the pain in her tooth was so severe that she could no longer stand it. She lives on social security, a fixed income, that barely covers her basic needs, so there was not enough to cover a visit to a dentist.  

She went to Catholic Family Services Elderly Assistance program supported by the Lubbock Area United Way. She told the staff that she had worked in an office downtown for years and always gave to the United Way but never thought that she would someday need help. She was so appreciative that the staff did not make her feel like a "beggar". The Elderly Assistance program was able to set her up with a dentist that made the extraction. Because of this, her health and quality of life is much improved.

See more stories: A Story of One

Find Out More

Funding from the Lubbock Area United Way helps the Elderly Assistance Program at Catholic Family Service assist low-income elderly persons with eye glasses, prescriptions, hearing aids, dentures and transportation.

Find out more by visiting their web site.