For Clara, like for most of us, this past holiday season was shaping up to be a tough one. Then, just after Thanksgiving, she found herself suddenly in custody of her young grandson. When he arrived, it was in summer clothes that didn’t even fit.
In spite of the good she knew could come from stepping into this role in her grandson’s life, she was frightened that she might not have the financial means or stores of energy to truly give him what he needed. And the many obstacles posed by COVID-19 only made things trickier.
She reached out to the Gilmer County Family Resource Network, and with a few other community partners, they managed to gather several bags of clothing and toys for the child. They also connected the family with additional holiday assistance services and signed Clara up for the Healthy Grandfamilies program.
A few weeks later, the Gilmer County team received a Christmas card from Clara, full of thanks on behalf of herself and her grandson for making their holiday—and the start of this part of their journey together—so much brighter.