Anxiety and fear were constant companions for *Martha after the Governor’s shut down order in March. Her husband’s work hours were cut drastically and her small side business making cakes for special occasions was completely shuttered. She worried about feeding her five children. She worried about paying for medical care if one of her children contracted the virus.
Her worries led to depression, making it difficult to sleep and remember things. Adding fuel to the fire, she learned a relative had tested positive for the virus, her health insurance was expired and her baby broke his glasses.
In this time of crisis, Martha turned back to Child Crisis Arizona, the program her child was enrolled in. While the on-site early education program the family had come to rely on was temporarily closed, the family’s Family Support Specialist was still there to help. She assisted Martha with renewing her medical insurance and referred her to a Mental Health Consultant. The entire family was tested for COVID-19 and they were able to find affordable glasses.
The family of seven was also able to take advantage of Child Crisis Arizona’s curbside meal distribution. Each weekday the family picks up breakfast and lunch for the children, as well as books and other activities when available, and once a week they attend the Thankful Thursday Meal Distribution and receive a hot dinner at no cost.
“Thank you,” Martha said. “I really needed to talk about my fears, and thank you for all the support with school supplies, referrals and food.”
*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.
