Up Close and Personal:  The People We Help

Last year Lorton Community Action Center assisted more than 2,500 people with food, clothing, emergency aid and referral services. (Individuals are counted only once, even though each may have returned many times to receive food).  We would like to share a few stories with you.

Crystal:  “LCAC has beautiful people”

Crystal works with special needs children – helping to transport them to and from school.  She arrived in Lorton several years ago when she was fleeing an abusive relationship. Plans to move in with a friend didn’t work out and Crystal found herself with no place to live, no food, little clothing and no one to turn to for help.   She was in a local store, crying, when a store employee who volunteered at LCAC asked her what was wrong.  She referred Crystal to us.

LCAC helped Crystal find a place to live and helped her to get furniture and clothing.   She says:  “I don’t know where I would be without LCAC.  They helped me when I didn’t know where to go.”  She adds:  “LCAC has beautiful people.  They helped to build me up when I had nothing.”

Today Crystal mostly makes it on her own, but because her salary is small, from time to time she still turns to LCAC for assistance.  Whenever she comes to LCAC, we know that she will also be helping others.  She offers to drive home an elderly lady who walks with a walker.  She offers to deliver food to those that can’t come to LCAC to get food.  Crystal knows how important LCAC is to the community. 

Sheila and Michelle want to give back

Sheila was an independent woman until she suffered a severe traumatic brain injury a few years ago.  After numerous surgeries, she is still unable to work and must have a professional caregiver  to drive her to doctor’s appointments and the grocery store. Sheila turned to LCAC a few years ago when her disability check was insufficient to cover her electric bill in addition to her medical expenses.  LCAC was able to pay the $187.93 electric bill. Recently Sheila brought LCAC a check for $40.00.  She wanted to repay part of the amount that we had paid toward her bill. Sheila, like so many other LCAC clients, wants to give back to the organization that helped her.  Meanwhile, LCAC continues to work with Sheila to make sure that her needs are met.

Michele is a stay-at-home mom and part time journalist.  She called LCAC to ask about our food pantry and then offered to do a food drive for LCAC.  After talking to LCAC’s Food Pantry Manager for some time, Michele revealed that 16 years ago, she and her 1 year old daughter arrived in Lorton.  They had no home, no money and were living in her car.  She came to LCAC and received a car load of food and items she needed.   She has never forgotten that.  Now she too wants to give back.  

Beth wanted to help another family

Beth is an elderly lady who has occasionally turned to LCAC for food and holiday assistance since 1988.  A few days after Thanksgiving, Beth asked to speak to LCAC’s Director of Emergency Services.  She told us that when she received her Thanksgiving food basket, she received not one $20 gift card (for meat), but two.  Even though she certainly could have used the additional $20 gift card, she returned it to LCAC because she did not want to take away from another family.