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Profiles in caring

SnowCap employee, volunteer goes extra mile for clients

SUSAN SANDOR
FOR THE MID-COUNTY MEMO

Kari James, SnowCap Community Charities social services coordinator, is a tireless advocate for those in need.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
One taught the other to tie her shoes, how to ride a bike and the best way to bake a cake. They were mother and daughter. The other said, “Watch me mamma,” when she flew down the slide in the city park. Now she says, “Watch your step, mamma,” when they leave their front porch.

When they grew older, they pooled their resources. Now the two, mother and daughter, live together once again. The two women maintain a tenuous independence made possible by their decision to share housing and utility expenses. They also share meals. They are thrifty and living on very limited means. They qualify for meals delivered by Loaves & Fishes each day and a nutritional supplement drink that is necessary to maintain their health.

These lovely, fragile women are among a growing list of Food2You clients at SnowCap. They supplement their small food budget with a nutritious food box delivered to them by a Food2You volunteer. It so happens that their Food2You volunteers are Kari James and her husband Larry James. The couple delivers a SnowCap food box to them every month. Kari, who is also a staff member and social service coordinator at SnowCap Community Charities, feels it is important for Food2You clients to have the advocacy of SnowCap Charities, as well. This is a story of how SnowCap delivers more than food - SnowCap delivers care and concern as well.

When Kari and Larry James deliver the heavy food boxes on the last Tuesday of each month - they also take a moment to chat if the client is so inclined. With this single household they see each month, their volunteer time with Food2You takes only one hour. They pick up the food box at the SnowCap warehouse and then deliver it after work to the clients.

Kari’s most recent visit with the two women found them distraught and confused. Their Medicaid worker told them that due to government budget cuts, their meals from Loaves & Fishes would no longer be provided. They would no longer receive a daily meal and nutritional drink supplement. Our clients said that the worker told them that Medicaid had cut the service and now they’d have to pay. They couldn’t afford to cover the cost of the meal. Thinking out loud, one of the women said, “Well, maybe cereal” would replace the meal. Kari listened and decided to share the information with our executive director, Judy Alley. Judy was concerned - it didn’t sound like Loaves & Fishes operating procedures. She asked Kari to call the agency involved and investigate.

“The great news is they will continue to receive their meal and the nutritional supplement,” says Kari, “I spoke to Sarah at Loaves & Fishes about the situation. At first Sarah thought they had received a statement about the services and explained that many people misunderstand these written notices and get confused thinking it is a bill, when it is just stating that donations are welcome but not required. I told her that their worker actually told them that they would not get meals delivered anymore unless they could pay the $2.50. Sarah was very concerned and took the detailed information so she could do some research and find out what happened.”

“Sarah was wonderful; within the hour she called back to say that the ladies involved would continue receiving meals and nutrition drinks without a charge. Medicaid did have cut backs; however, the cuts had nothing to do with Loaves & Fishes. Sarah also told the women that if anyone tries to tell them that they need to pay, to send them packing,” said Kari.

“Thankfully this situation had a happy ending. These ladies were visibly distraught worrying about what they were going to have to do without in order to cover the expense. With their health issues the last thing they need is additional stress. It makes you think about how many other seniors are in this situation,” concluded Kari.

Advocacy. Showing care and concern. That’s a required ingredient of all SnowCap Community Charities services. Thanks to volunteers like Kari and Larry James and staff who work together to resolve needs of our community, SnowCap continues to be the Mid-County way to be a neighbor who shares and cares.


Susan Sandor is community development manager at SnowCap. For more information on SnowCap, call 503-674-8785.
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