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Caring people restore faith in mankind for elderly victim of identity theft

Dear W.C.,

I am a property manager and I am very concerned about one of our senior citizen residents. She is behind in her rent, and I have not seen her for several weeks. I noticed her car was missing for several days and did not see any lights on.

I stopped by to check on her. I was very worried about what she told me. She said her identity had been stolen and all her money was gone. She told me her car was missing. When I asked if she had any family or friends to help, she said she didn’t.

Could you please check on this woman? She always has been a good woman and a good neighbor.

-- a concerned property manager

Dear readers,

This senior woman was one of the people I visited along with CNN and Will.i.am. While CNN was able to film her reaction to our visit, the segment was edited out of the final short film. She did not have a phone, so our visit was arranged through the concerned property manager. The manager had assured me they were doing all they could to update the surroundings and amenities, while still providing a place to live for many people who could not afford to live anywhere else. He filled me in on some of the woman’s story.

She had lived at the location for many years. She was very content there and able to get by on her meager savings and Social Security. She lived very simply but always paid her rent and utilities on time. That was until her identity was stolen. The thief had emptied her checking and savings accounts. She no longer had any money to pay rent or utilities, or even to buy food. She was doing without food and other necessities. It is nearly impossible to obtain emergency relief. Besides the many phone calls and trips to different locations, there are very long waiting lists and no assistance available for months.

After further investigation we discovered even her car was stolen. The loss of her car was tragic for her well-being, because where she lives is not close enough to any amenities to walk. After I continued my research, I was shocked by what I found. The woman’s older son had been staying with her prior to the identity theft. Her own son had stolen her purse and identification. He emptied her savings and left her nothing, not even enough money for food. He had taken her car and told her he had to walk back because the car had broken down and been left to be fixed. He never returned the car.

When this no-good son learned of my visit and the manager’s concerns, he took off. His poor mother was left penniless, with her next Social Security payment more than three weeks away. The hardest thing the widowed woman had to bear was the heartbreak, knowing this was done to her by her own son.

She began to cry when she spoke about the possibility of leaving her home. I gave her a hug. When she was able to speak again she told me she was very proud that she had been able to take care of herself for all these years. Her son was there for just a short visit, just to steal from her. Now she did not know where to turn for help and was too ashamed to ask. I reassured her that this was not her fault.

I assured her we were there to help. I told her she would not be homeless. We contacted a volunteer to take her shopping and provided food vouchers to get food.

The Time Is Now to Help paid her past due rent and brought her utilities up to date. We gave her information about the W.C. Food Pantry. We supplied her with some household necessities.

When we were leaving, she hugged us goodbye and thanked us profusely. She said over and over how she did not know such good people existed in the world. I told her we were able to help her because we have so many wonderful, caring supporters donating so we can continue to do our good works.

She smiled and said, “You be sure to tell them how grateful an old, lonely woman is that they support you so kindly.”

A big thank you to everyone for supporting The Time Is Now to Help. Together we will continue to ease the pains of poverty for our fellow creations.

Health and happiness,

God bless everyone,

WC/Sal Dimiceli Sr.

Please help: Make checks payable to: The Time Is Now to Help, P.O. Box 70, Pell Lake, WI 53157. The Time Is Now to Help is a federally recognized 501(c)3 charitable organization licensed in Wisconsin and Illinois. You will receive a tax-deductible, itemized thank-you receipt showing exactly what every penny of your donation provided for the poverty stricken.

A very special thank you to: Fox Charities; Kunes Country Auto Group; Paul Ziegler and the Ziegler Charitable Foundation; Dick and Jean Honeyager; Martin O’Brien; Geneva Lake Development Corp.; Grunow Family Fund; E2 Services; Nitelite Promotions, Distribution and Transportation Service; Abbott Labs Employee Giving Campaign; Kevin and Kris Strehlow; Gary and Hazel Schopp; Janice Ploch; Brian Schmidt; Victoria Wertz; Richard and Ruth Hanson; Thomas and Cheryl Beise; Josette and Matthew Kuehl; Terry Moore and Patricia Lessman; Larry and Vern Magee; Edward and Katherine Misik; Patrick Kavanaugh; Brian and Marilyn Johnson; Bill Bonham; Janice Stubbs; Doug and Jean Chase; Achilles and Karen Aristides Jr.; Bruce and Natalie Murray; Margaret and Randall Smith; Katherine Kelly; Steve Smith; Gerald and Jacqueline Karls; Gerald and Carolyn Langner; Donald and Gladys Keith; Gerald and Marilyn Wilkin; Dan Mehring; Claudia Garber; John and Debra Lendman; Michael and Kathe Beach; W. and F. Strumpf; Jim and Carol Krauklis; Barbara Giovannoni; Diane, Jacki, Leah, Karen and Jodi of Dr. Puntillo’s office staff; W.C. Family Resource Center/Food Pantry volunteers, and all the God-loving volunteers of all our food pantries, all of you who support The Time Is Now to Help donation boxes, and the businesses that allow our donation boxes. Anyone who would like a Time Is Now donation box in your business, please call (262) 249-7000.

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What: The Time is Now can be contacted by mail or online only.

Mail: P.O. Box 70, Pell Lake, WI 53157.

Online: www.timeisnowtohelp.org.