Loving Our Neighbors

A couple of weeks ago I responded to a frantic message from a single mother with three children—her rent was past due and she and her children were facing eviction that very day. Mom told me she had part of the rent that was due but didn’t think the landlord would accept it and cancel the eviction. I offered CVEM’s help and called the landlord. He paused after I told him that his tenant had some of the rent and that CVEM could help with a little more; he said he would cancel the eviction which, by the way, had to be done in the next 20 minutes! He said he’d give her more time because “we are all in a stressful time and being kind is so necessary, even if it means breaking our own “rules”.” I firmly believe our call from CVEM helped influence the landlord to show kindness and mercy toward this family.

- Norma Wolff (volunteer)

Throughout this Easter season we invite you to be present with some of our neighbors and hear their stories of weariness under the weight of unrelenting poverty, fears of how to take care of a family in the sudden loss of income, and the fear we all recognize of an unknown future in a world with COVID-19. Perhaps if we have just been through the Lentiest Lent that we ever Lented, this will be the Easteriest Easter if in our compassionate presence with one another we also find God present with us and there we find hope. And it is enough.

Please help CVEM to continue our work of neighbors helping neighbors. Donate today.

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