This post is part of the Making Holiday Wishes Come True contest, sponsored by Fred Meyer. Please leave a comment on this post if you wish to vote for Jessica and her family. For more information, please read this page on how the contest works. 

*****************

Hi Angela,

As my children have grown, I’ve always instilled the importance of helping those less fortunate than ourselves. For the past 12 years, we’ve donated our time to the Adopt-A-Family project. Initially run through our local elementary school but when the school no longer had enough volunteers to keep it going, I took the reins myself and continued. Each year I contact the couselor at another elementary school in our district. A school where 7 languages are spoken and which many immigrant children attend. The couselor communicates with the teachers who select 2 – 3 deserving families each year. My family spreads the word to classmates, family, friends, coworkers….anyone who will listen. We collect new & used toys, clothing & household items for these families, who are always so modest in their requests and so grateful for our help. This year we are collecting for another family with four children under the age of 8.

However this year has been challenging for my own family as well. I’m a divorced mom of 3 and had to take 4 months off work to travel cross- country to care for my child’s medical needs. Last spring, my youngest had major orthopedic surgery which required a 4 month hospital stay. To make things more difficult, her surgical team is in Baltimore. (She had a similar surgery in 2007 and will require another next year)  We finally returned home last July and began daily physical therapy at Children’s Hospital as she began to re-learn how to walk. It’s been a long, tough road but thankfully she is tougher. Tough enough to endure hour long (often painful) bandage changes, tough enough to endure 3 hours of daily physical therapy, tough enough to stand and then walk with 26 pins drilled into her legs, tough enough to sit in her wheelchair and watch the other kids playing on the playground at school and tough enough to never ever complain. At the hospital, she met kids who had it even worse than her. Kids who were at risk of losing their limbs, kids who were battling cancer. We prayed for those kids each night.

In the pediatric ward of the hospital was a sign taped to the wall of the playroom which simply read BELIEVE. We did! We do! Last Friday we were supposed to fly back to Baltimore to have her fixators removed. Oh my gosh were we excited when we got the call from her surgeon who gave the thumbs up for removal after having viewed her last xrays. She would be restricted to her wheelchair for a month following surgery, but would be walking by Christmas!! Unfortunately, she became ill last weekend, spent a day in the ER and surgery had to be rescheduled for 3 weeks later. She still never complained. I thank God that he blessed her with such determination and an optomistic spirit.

It’s been a tough year for us physically, emotionally and financially. Seeing her now though, with perfectly straight legs and a healthy back… the sacrifice was worthwhile. I tripped across The Coupon Project website by chance just a few months ago and what a blessing that has been! All of your hard work has enabled me to strectch our family’s grocery budget considerably further than it used to go. We would appreciate being considered for the Fred Meyer Holiday Wish promotion. If we were to win, I would spend $150 for food & gifts for my children, $50 for food & gifts for our Adopt-A-Family kids and $50 on stuffed animal toys, which my daughter’s surgeons can take with them when they do their annual summer medical missions to Haiti.

Thank you for offering this opportunity. You thoughtful consideration is greatly appreciated!

Gail L.

************

Gail, your generosity in the midst of your own trials is inspiring. I pray that your daughter will soon be able to walk again – what a trooper she has been! Blessings to you & your family. – Angela

To read the other four finalists’ stories, please see the Making Holiday Wishes Come True page.

{ 26 comments }

This post is part of the Making Holiday Wishes Come True contest, sponsored by Fred Meyer. Please leave a comment on this post if you wish to vote for Jessica and her family. For more information, please read this page on how the contest works. 

*****************

Hello Angela,

First let me thank you and Fred Meyer for offering something so generous and thoughtful.  I appreciate your empathy and desire to help needy families, as there are so many of us in these current times.  Our own story is this; a few years ago I was laid off from my position in the education field, so I returned to complete my Masters degree, and add some endorsements in order to improve my chances of employment, while my husband continued to work in the construction field.  This year, he fell off a ladder and fractured his 7th vertebrae, which is very painful and has made work impossible given the intensity of the injury, and the need for him to rest in order to heal.  We have been barely holding it together because of this, we live off of my small student loans, we’ve maxed out our credit card, we’ve sold things and we generally do without.  We string together a meager living with food stamps and unemployment while we wait for disability to hopefully be approved.  And now, the holiday season is upon us and we are have heavy hearts and minds.  Every night my husband and I feel so worried and sad.

Our son is turning five on December 14, which is a very important birthday, and we have no idea how we will get him a gift.  He is also finally realizing the magic of the season, and wants to decorate, make presents, give and receive presents, and experience all the magic that is Christmas.  It is simply heartbreaking to be facing this holiday season feeling that we are going to disappoint him, and have to tell him no to the simple things he wants to have and do.

We desperately need help, and this gift certificate would be nothing but life changing for us, so we could give our 5 year old a birthday and a Christmas.  Because Fred Meyer is so affordable, and has so many different departments we feel we could do so much with $250.00.  We could do a little decorating, get him a birthday cake, a birthday gift.  We could do some baking to give as simple gifts to others, and we could give my son a Christmas.  Without something miraculous like winning this fantastic contest, I don’t know what we are going to do.  How do we say no to him for his 5th birthday and Christmas.

Thank you for reading this, and for considering my family to receive such a gift, it would be amazing for our son.  Happy holidays to you and yours.

Blessings,

The Jensen Family

(taken before neck injury)

******************

Laura, I hope that you experience the miracle you need this holiday season. More than anything, I hope that you and your husband will soon be able to go to bed without that worry hanging over your heads. Blessings to you and your sweet family.

To read the other four finalists’ stories, please see the Making Holiday Wishes Come True page.

{ 27 comments }

This post is part of the Making Holiday Wishes Come True contest, sponsored by Fred Meyer. Please leave a comment on this post if you wish to vote for Jessica and her family. For more information, please read this page on how the contest works. 

*****************

Dear Angela,

Thank you so much for all your hard work helping up keep up with the sales and couponing, for  my son and I it’s become an increasingly important part of our lives. My names Rebecca and I am a single mother of a beautiful 5 year old boy named Isaac. I named him Isaac because his name means laughter and more often than not he is the only laughter and joy I am able to see. Obviously being a single mother isn’t easy and being unemployed often times I can’t make ends meet and in turn my son and I have lost many things in the last year that I just couldnt afford to keep after his father left.  We lost our house, our car and even my sons pet dog (A pug named Oscar). I was a stay at home mother and currently have been looking for steady employment for the last year. I had what I thought was a 6 month position with the State of Oregon and thought it would at least carry me through the holidays but unfortunatly the state closed my position after only 1 month and I have been without a job for the last month. I have been couponing not only to save money but for pure survival, often times though I am without a stockpile because my heart strings are very big and I coupon not only for me but also for my family and 2 close friends who are also hurting.

Due to my current financial situation I am likely unable to keep my apartment after the end of november and am not sure where my son and I will be spending christmas this year. I have sold off most of my personal things for whatever change they are worth to help pay the bills but with this Fred Meyer gift card I would be able to make sure there was one no matter where we end up I can make sure Isaac knows Santa wont forget him this year. This Fred Meyer gift card would allow me to bring christmas to my son who has lost so much: toys, clothes and a christmas dinner. I am not used to telling my story but I want so badly in my heart to give my son something this year for christmas, I want to give him everything but mostly this gift card would give us hope, I want to give my son hope that it wont be hard all the time, I want to give him hope that things will get better.

Thank you so very much

Rebecca

*****************

Rebecca, my heart goes out to you and your son. I pray that in spite of your circumstances, you will have a blessed holiday season and a brighter New Year. Thank you for sharing your story.

To read the other four finalists’ stories, please see the Making Holiday Wishes Come True page.

{ 17 comments }

This post is part of the Making Holiday Wishes Come True contest, sponsored by Fred Meyer. Please leave a comment on this post if you wish to vote for Jessica and her family. For more information, please read this page on how the contest works. 

****************

My family is a little different than most. I am a single mother, not by choice but because my husband, Cpl. Chad Groepper laid down his life in protection and honor for his country. Since his death in 2008 I have struggled between raising our daughter, who was just four months of age at the time of his death, and working to support and provide for my family. I am also very active within my community. I am a peer mentor with T.A.P.S (tragedy assistance program for survivors), as well as serving as treasure and secretary on my community Home owners association. I believe in bettering the community that my daughter will grow up in.

If I’m selected as a finalist for the Holiday Wishes contest, it will grant me some piece of mind that my daughter will have a Christmas this year. Between the struggle of working to provide basic needs for my daughter, giving back to the community and raising my daughter as hands on and in her life as possible, money is tight. I would not be able to stretch my $25 a week grocery budget without sites such as yours. With such a tight budget, things such as presents or even making cookies for Santa are rarely possible. I would love to grant my daughter that joy and memories of making those cookies to leave out for Santa and waking up to find them eaten and presents under the tree.

Thank you for providing this opportunity!
Stephanie & Clarissa Groepper

********************

Stephanie, how can we even begin to thank you & your family for the tremendous sacrifice you’ve given on behalf of our country? My wish is that you would be able to experience a bit of comfort and happiness this holiday season. – Angela

To read the other four finalists’ stories, please see the Making Holiday Wishes Come True page.

{ 160 comments }

This post is part of the Making Holiday Wishes Come True contest, sponsored by Fred Meyer. Please leave a comment on this post if you wish to vote for Jessica and her family. For more information, please read this page on how the contest works. 

*****************

Dear Angela,

My name is Jessica Maidhoff, and I am a 34year old proud mom of a precious 8 year old girl, Samantha, and wife to my husband Kevin Maidhoff.

We could really use this $250 gift card from Fred Meyer, as this past year has been a deep struggle for our family.  On September 22nd, 2010, while cleaning a house for a client, I injured my back and was put out of work (owned my own cleaning business). I had to walk using a cane and walker for the first six months, because I could not stand up right. After months of physical therapy and medications, my condition just did not improve. We have been in a battle with doctors and orthopedics trying to get me “fixed” ever since. I still suffer from severe chronic back pain and am unable to work a normal job. I had to close my business permanently in May 2011.

My husband is a VERY hard worker, and does every odd job he can on top of his regular full time position at the Home Depot. But with all of the bills that have piled up with me being out of work, we barely make ends meet, having to beg from Peter to pay Paul every single pay check.

We found out last week from my doctor that they are going to yet again, recommend that I not return to work at this time, yet my insurance will not be covering surgical options to assist in my road to recovery.

Additionally, our landlord of 5 years came to us this past Monday and informed us that we are now going to have to be looking for a place to live, as he has accepted a job offer in Georgia, and is planning on selling the house we rent. This could not have come at a more difficult time for us. The money that we thought would be there to help with the Holiday’s now must go to find a new place to live soon.

I have recently started a small Photography business, but it too is a struggle to build a clientele when you are new (and photography is hard to compete in). It does however keep gas in the husbands truck to get him to and from work each week. Thank the good Lord.

Just today my husband and I were discussing whether or not we should even put up a Christmas tree this year, because we do not want to get the hopes of our daughter up, just so she deflates on Christmas morning.

If we won this card, we would use it to make sure our daughter gets a good Christmas, even in the midst of our troubles. My hope is to also alleviate the pressure that has been on my husbands shoulders trying to support us on his own over this past year. If anyone deserves some stress relieved, it is my husband Kevin Maidhoff. I love you honey. I love my family so much, and if there was more that I could do to help out at this time, I certainly would. I have always been a hard worker, and to have been out of real work this long, has been a struggle physically and emotionally for me. My wish is to see my husband and daughter enjoy their Holiday with less pressure felt.

*************

Jessica, what moved me most was your love for your husband and family. I pray that you will have a magical Christmas this year, and that you can put up that tree for your daughter! Readers, you can check out Jessica’s photography business on Facebook. – Angela

To read the other four finalists’ stories, please see the Making Holiday Wishes Come True page.

{ 40 comments }