Danielle’s family are clients of House of Lazarus Link opens a new window in Mountain, Ontario. This story originally appeared in the 2019 Hunger Report.
Six months after the birth of our third child my husband was laid off. It was common to be laid off in his line of work so we were patiently waiting for him to get called back in, but unfortunately it didn’t happen. We weren’t sure how we were going to feed our family and the stress we felt was immeasurable.
Someone suggested we go to House of Lazarus for help. I didn’t like the idea of asking for help but I knew we had to do something. I went and am so glad that I did. I never felt judged or uncomfortable. We were welcomed with open arms.
As time went on and my husband looked into other employment options, Christmas was approaching. I wasn’t sure how we were going to provide a Christmas for our children. I received a call from House of Lazarus to come pick up some gifts for the kids. I was thrilled! I remember pulling in and thinking how wonderful it was going to be to have a few gifts for the kids. I was not prepared for what came next.
We were given everything for a full Turkey dinner, treats for the holidays, several gifts for the kids and for us as well. It was overwhelming. I cried the whole way home. Someone who we did not know gave us the most memorable Christmas ever. We are forever grateful for everything House of Lazarus and our anonymous guardian angel gave to us.
*Name changed by request