Without the help of three local women, an Addison resident named Carl feared he would not make it through the winter.
The 58-year old Vietnam veteran, plagued by symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis, is nearly blind and has spent the past two winters without heat, phone service and electricity. He lives off a meager monthly income of $103 from the United States Veterans Administration.
Last week Addison Township volunteers Cherill Collins, Alayne Williams, and a neighbor (who asked to remain anonymous) started the home fires burning to keep Carl warm until spring.
‘He just can’t live off of $103 a month,? Collins said. ‘I can’t believe we live in one of the richest counties in the country and we have this, right here in our own town.?
With no family to help care for him, Carl has been doing what he can to remain in his Leonard home, but last week his neighbor found him trying to sell personal items because his home was in foreclosure and he had no food.
‘He said he didn’t think he was going to make it through another winter,? said Collins. ‘He needs medical help and we’re trying to get it through the VA, but now all this has to go through Lansing before he’s approved or denied.?
In addition, Collins found that at age 58 Carl is two years too young for a multitude of assistance from Social Security.
‘It could take up to two years for him to get on 100 percent disability. He’s only getting 10 percent right now.?
‘There are some major glitches in our system,? Collins said. ‘I can’t believe how much bureaucracy he has to go through to get help.?
After taking Carl to the township to address the foreclosure, the neighbor arranged to have his utilities turned back on, at her own expense. Williams, site hostess at the Addison Senior Center, arranged to have meals delivered to his home while the seniors are sponsoring a food drive at the center.
‘It’s amazing how much food the community brought in for him,? said Collins. ‘We will be taking him food daily until he can get the help he needs and deserves.?
Further, neighbors are working diligently to salvage the veteran’s home which, according to Collins, has a leaky roof and plumbing, a furnace that hasn’t worked in four years, and a groundwater well that just went dry over the weekend.
After having lost a ‘ton? of sleep trying to sort through all the red tape associated with obtaining additional financial assistance for Carl, Collins said Oxford/Orion FISH immediately came to her rescue by aiding with the paperwork.
Currently, the senior center is setting up an account with Oxford Bank for cash donations to defer the cost of heat, gas, and electricity for Carl’s home until funding assistance from the state is approved.
‘We are trying to protect his dignity,? Collins said ‘but he wouldn’t have made it through another winter.?
For more information on how to help this Vietnam Veteran in need contact Addison Senior Center Site Hostess Alayne Williams at (248) 628-3388 or Cherill Collins at (810) 730-5549.