Document text
Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 22, 2005 Light One Candle: Proud family gets by on little EDITOR’S NOTE: "Light One Candle" is an annual Mail Tribune feature that focuses on the single need of an individual, family or agency during the holidays. By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Her parents don’t want charity. That’s the first thing the 20-year-old Ashland woman says. "They don’t want to need anything from anyone else," she says. But the truth is, the young woman and her family need help, says Jan Janssen, community service officer with the city’s Police Department. Advertisement Lately, the young woman has been sleeping in her truck because the family’s house is cold and they can’t afford to turn on the heat. The young woman works nearly full time at a local pizza place and gives part of each paycheck to her parents. Her dad is a disabled veteran who can no longer work. Her mom is employed as a cook in a local restaurant. Despite Ashland’s reputation as a wealthy community, there are pockets of deep poverty — and families who struggle to stay in the place they’ve lived for years. "Her family’s having a hard go — and they have for a while," Janssen says. The best aid this holiday season would be funds to help restore and maintain the heat, Janssen says. But there are a couple of quirky needs as well. When pressed, the young woman confesses she’d really like a membership to a local fitness center. It would be a way to relieve stress and get fit, Janssen says. The young woman’s dad can’t eat peanut butter, but he loves cashew butter. "We can’t afford cashews or cashew butter," she says. Her mom could use local store certificates to buy new clothing. "I’d love to be able to offer them something, anything," Janssen says. Donations can be delivered to the Ashland Police Department, 1155 E. Main St., Ashland. For more information, call 482-5211. For more information about "Light One Candle," call reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487 or e-mail her at Light One Candle: Proud family gets by on little ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Student Loans Online Pharmacy tcg student loan consolidation Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Salvia Divinorum Online Casino Advertisement s