Linda sat alone at her kitchen table, a box of markers and paper in front of her.

She put the marker to the page and began to draw. It was one of the few things that helped take her mind off everything that had gone wrong.

Her fiancé had recently left, leaving her with thousands of dollars in debt. Her son was no longer speaking to her. Her siblings lived across the country. After paying off the debt, she had little money left for groceries, rent, or even a ride to the doctor.

For the first time in her life, Linda wasn’t sure where to turn.

Alone and defeated, she picked up the phone next to her. And thanks to donors like you, her call for help was answered.

An Artist Who Found Hope

Linda grew up in Hudson, New Hampshire with six siblings and has been painting for as long as she can remember. Her talent was so well known that she was asked to paint her high school’s logo in the gymnasium. Everyone knew Linda as the talented artist with an infectious laugh.

Linda went on to build a successful career as a self-taught computer analyst, but no role meant more to her than being a mother.

When her mother passed away from cancer, Linda’s mental health was deeply impacted. Having always wanted kids, she begged for a miracle. At 42 years old, Linda was blessed with the birth of her son, Jake.

Linda stepped away from her career to focus on raising him, cherishing every moment she could.

Moments that Changed Everything

Over time, Linda’s depression had grown. It was an uphill battle to overcome addiction. After six years of raising Jake by herself, Linda recognized the best thing she could do for both of them was enter rehab willingly.

Years later, just as life seemed more stable again, things took another difficult turn.

Linda’s fiancé at the time became the victim of repeated financial scams, draining their savings and resulting in Linda being thousands of dollars behind on rent and bills. Shortly afterward, he moved out, leaving her to manage the financial fallout alone.

“When you’re not making enough money, people won’t work with you,” Linda said. “It tends to put you into a depression, because you’re sitting around worrying every day.”

Linda was going hungry having to choose between rent, medical bills, and food. She needed help and time was running out.

Linda connected with the Department of Human and Health Services, where they encouraged her to contact CareGivers. It was a call that would change her life.

More Than a Grocery Delivery

At her first grocery drop-off, Linda was greeted by a volunteer who showed her something she hadn’t seen in years: kindness.

The volunteer went through each item with her, ensuring everything delivered was food she liked and would eat. “I haven’t bought butter in six months, since I began working with CareGivers,” Linda shared “it’s always fresh.”

Today, CareGivers provides Linda with monthly grocery deliveries and rides to medical appointments. This alone saves her hundreds of dollars in transportation costs and helps her maintain her independence.

For people like Linda, the most important thing CareGivers delivers is the reminder that someone cares. Whether it’s a ride to an appointment, or a knock on the door to drop off groceries, Linda is shown that people in the community truly care about her.

Linda still paints. She still laughs. She still hopes her son will call. Thanks to CareGivers, she knows she doesn’t have to face life’s hardest moments alone.