Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
BY LAURIE HAHN, Times-Union Staff Writer
They survived the summer heat, rain and thunderstorms in two tents at a local campground. But now, thanks to the concern and generosity of Warsaw-area residents, "Jane Doe" and her four children are safely settled in a house just in time for cold weather.
Moving into their rental home at the beginning of this month, Jane is still tired from carting belongings from the storage warehouse, unpacking, getting the house ready and taking care of a sick daughter.
"It was weird taking the tents down," Jane said last week. But she keeps the tents, neatly stored in her basement, just in case.
Jane's current circumstances are due in large part to the help of community organizations and individuals - all of whom insisted on remaining anonymous. The Warsaw Housing Authority was instrumental in helping Jane find an affordable house. Her landlord gave her a "very big break" on her damage deposit. Several churches in the area contributed money toward utility deposits, and other people donated furniture and clothing to replace what had been in storage and was ruined by water.
And one special woman, whom Jane calls "my guardian angel," made it her mission to smooth the way for Jane, helping inspect her house, taking meals to Jane and her family, approaching community organizations for monetary help and being a friend.
When asked why she would spend so much time helping someone else, "Sue" said, "The Bible tells us we're to help other people, and I enjoy doing that. My husband and I are blessed with seven beautiful children, and I wanted to get involved."
After she read the first story about Jane in the Times-Union on Aug.23, Sue was determined to get involved. She left her name and phone number with the housing authority, which in turn gave it to Jane. Jane called Sue, they met and hit it off. A friendship was formed.
Since Sue is a native of Warsaw, she knows the people and places to approach for help - and she's not shy about hitting up business people or community leaders for donations. "They're local people and they're nice and they have a heart," she said of those who insisted on anonymity.
She suggested that the community set up a kind of informal organization of willing volunteers like her who would help people in unfortunate circumstances find help. She also wants to set up a fund that such people could use and then repay.
"We need some kind of an advocacy program to do the legwork," Sue said. "Most people don't have a clue. More people need to know that there are homeless people in Warsaw."
Jane thanked the community for the help in finding a home for her and her family: "I just want to say that I thank everybody, I appreciate all their help and all the calls, and I want them to remember that I'm not the only one."
She repeated her claim that she met other homeless families at various campgrounds around the county, and echoed Sue's suggestion for a volunteer organization to act as a clearinghouse. She said that often people who need help either don't know where to go for aid or don't want to get government agencies involved.
"You have to go out and look for these people - they're not hiding under a rock," she said. "You have to remember that lots of people are afraid to ask for help."
