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Client Stories

The greatest challenge that CES faces is the ever-increasing number of clients coming with crisis needs. Because emergency needs are increasing, so must the program and service budget. As you read in the following stories, you will notice how even meeting the basic needs of food, water, gas, an ID card or rent can be the catalyst that pushes people out of crisis and into a new chapter in life.

One of the largest programs at CES is the rental assistance program. In 2006, CES helped well over 430 households (most of them families) avoid homelessness. Had these families become or remained homeless, their chances of self-sustenance would have been utterly sabotaged. The question is often asked, “What, if anything, does CES do to help families become self-sufficient?” If a family is homeless, their chances of obtaining or maintaining employment are small to almost non-existent. In short, no home usually equals no job. By helping to resolve or avoid homelessness, CES is helping families create or sustain the very foundation on which most of the rest of their success is built.

CES has also learned a jarring fact from the current CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation Sandy Vargas. In the event that CES has to turn away a family who is about to be evicted because we have run out of funds to pay the $300 it normally cost to prevent an eviction, it will predictably cost the County about $5,000 to resettle that family from a shelter back into an apartment.

Housing is the cornerstone on which self-sufficiency is built. By looking into the situation to see what has caused their housing crisis, CES can attempt to help resolve any underlying issues and remove any blocks to success.

Rent Overload

There are many families who have been emotionally beaten up by circumstances, often beyond their control. Here is one example:

A single parent with one child and another on the way had become ill, causing her to miss work for so long that she owed $2,000 in back rent. Though she had since recovered and was back at work full-time, her next paycheck was not scheduled to arrive for another week. Unless her landlord received a substantial amount of money, she would be evicted within 48 hours, with her furniture literally set out on the lawn.

She came to Community Emergency Service for help. CES was able to help her with $300 as seed money, and gave a referral to another organization which assisted with $350. It was enough to appease the landlord, especially with her pledge to bring the balance up to date with her next paycheck. That was a reasonable pledge, with her return to work at an income of $2,000 per month and her rent at $800 per month. Her rent was now payable for the foreseeable future.

As you can see, what was needed was a one-time first-aid transfusion that lifted her and her children from hopeless desperation to peace and renewed hope.

Food, Faith & Money for Books

A gentleman from the Phillips Neighborhood, whom we will call Howie (not his real name), came to CES with a need for groceries. He had come from Indiana about five years before with a desire to “make it” in Minnesota. He had a high school diploma, but so far his only steady job had been at a local grocery store. When his hours were reduced, Howie knew it was time to make a change.

Classes at Anoka County Community College were just starting; Howie had been accepted but his financial aid had not yet arrived. The school, understanding his situation, allowed him to attend classes. CES was able to purchase three of the crucial textbooks that Howie needed in order to keep up with the assigned reading.

Howie had been everywhere, trying desperately to get assistance. After receiving help, he wanted to find out more about CES. He was intrigued by the story of how CES started with Pastor William Berg and Augustana Lutheran Church partnering with Russell Lund, Sr. (founder of Lund food stores) to meet crisis needs in the inner city.

After some discussion about the motivations behind reaching out to people in this manner, Howie was interested in connecting a bit more with people at CES. Thankfully, the CES Bible Fellowship had recently restarted on Sunday afternoons, so that need was met as well.

Through your gifts, CES provided Howie with a bag of groceries, a one hundred dollar check to the book store for books and, more importantly, new hope and an expectant outlook for the future. Oh yes, Howie's gratitude and new found hope was all the payment CES would ever need! However, once on his feet, Howie paid CES back for the books purchased.

Leaky Pipe

It was well into November; and although many families had already turned on their heat in September, there had not yet been the first whisper of heat in one woman's house. Had she failed to pay her bill? No. She had fully paid her rent AND her heat bill. The problem was the landlord. He had not bothered to repair a leaky water pipe—the pipe that brings the water in from the water main out in the street. As a result, the city had been forced to shut off the water supply. Without water, the radiator heating system would not work. Since the landlord was losing the house to foreclosure, he refused to (or could not afford to) have the repairs done. Unjust? Yes, especially since she had paid her full amount of rent! Unfortunately, this situation is not so unusual for many of the people who live in the inner city.

Through referral, CES was able to assure her of immediate, warm housing for herself and her children. Since that time, she has taken steps that will—over a longer term—help her to obtain a legal remedy for the landlord’s failure to provide heat.

Pancakes & Refrigerator

A young mother of three children came to CES. She had two problems. Because her ex-husband had failed to send support checks for several months, she and the children were nearly out of food. She had purchased a huge container of pancake mix to have on hand as a standby in case they ever ran out of food. Now, they had eaten nothing but pancakes three meals a day for three days. She could not bear the thought of asking her children to eat pancakes one more time without a break. CES provided three days of non-pancake groceries. By that time, her food allocation would arrive so she could re-supply her cupboards.

Her second problem was the refrigerator. She had only two payments left to make and it would be hers. Without the support check, however, she had to skip the last payment. Now, the store that sold it to her was arranging to re-possess it! CES was able to make a payment and avert re-possession until her support check came enabling her to pay it off!

ID Card

All of one man's important documents went up in smoke because of a fire in the building where he stayed. He had been laid off from his last job (day labor) so long ago, that he was currently broke – not one penny was left. Now, it would be IMPOSSIBLE to get a job because one needs a birth certificate, I. D. card and/or some other way you can prove who you are (an American citizen) – or a work permit if you are an immigrant! He needed a $13 check for the Hennepin County Treasurer to obtain a certified birth certificate and a $12.50 check for an official I. D. Card. CES was able help on both counts. Now, this man was able to replace these two crucial documents so he could get back to work and be self-sustaining.

Lights & Hope

Lacy (not her real name) came to CES with an orange card from XCEL Energy given to people whose electricity will be shut-off within 24 hours. Unfortunately, this time had lapsed and her power was already off. Lacy lived in a low-rent housing project with her five children. Due to clinical depression, she had missed many days at work and eventually left her job entirely.

Just living in the “housing project” where she was, with all of the fights, drunkenness and crime, is enough to depress anyone. She would have loved to move away from all of that, but Lacy did not have the income to afford market rate housing costs of over $1,000 a month plus utilities for a family of five.

Once CES reviewed her situation, hope was found after all. Her rent had recently been reduced further because of the drop in income resulting from unemployment. Lacy’s niece from out of town had arrived to live with her to help with rent and child care. In addition, Lacy started receiving counseling and medication for her depression. Observing that her niece was working and that Lacy would also be working soon, it was clear that there would once again be income flowing into the household for paying bills. In that context, XCEL Energy was called by CES in order to advocate on her behalf. CES agreed to pay part of the fee up front and Lacy agreed to a payment arrangement in return for the electricity being turned back on.

At the end of the interview, the conversation turned to things about the void in Lacy’s life. The door was opened for the interviewer to share his story about how his life was turned from drugs to helping others. She was interested in learning more about changing her life and the lives of her children. CES was able to get Lacy’s lights back on and give her best gift of all: a new outlook on a life filled with faith and hope!