Meredith went into the hospital after falling gravely ill with COVID-19 in the fall of 2020 and has struggled financially and medically ever since.
She spent months under sedation on a ventilator.
“I went to sleep right after Halloween and woke up and it was already the new year,” Meredith, now 38, said. “I had to learn to walk again.”
The illness damaged multiple organs, especially her kidneys. Early this year, her doctor told her she could no longer delay dialysis.
Before COVID, the single mother of two teenagers had few financial worries. She worked as a sales associate for a telecommunications provider, selling internet services to businesses.
“I was making money I never made before,” she said. “I was finally able to buy a car.”
She returned to work after rehabilitation but began calling off frequently without understanding why. Her doctor explained she was approaching renal failure and needed to prepare for dialysis. She opted for a fistula, a surgically created artery-vein connection in her arm, hoping to begin in-home dialysis within two months.
She took a leave from her job and went on short-term disability, receiving 60% of her salary and feeling the impact immediately.
But her kidney function deteriorated rapidly.
“I was hospitalized several times. My health kept declining,” she said. “At one point I gained at least 60 pounds, all in liquid. My doctor said I couldn’t keep doing this and needed to start dialysis immediately.”
She began dialysis as soon as a chair opened at a local center. In-home dialysis was no longer an option, which means she had to travel to a dialysis center every day.
Her disability ended in September. With no income, she didn’t know how to apply for food stamps.
“I was getting shut-off notices for electric and my cellphone,” she said. “I couldn’t even pay my car insurance.
She tried to shield her children from the crisis, but they noticed the changes — ramen noodles and canned tuna for dinner, streaming services canceled.
She asked a medical provider whether any assistance was available. Soon after, she received a call from a case management specialist at Helping Harvest, a Berks County–based nonprofit that supports food pantries and works to address hunger.
The caseworker completed her SNAP application and directed her to local food banks.
“They were so incredibly helpful,” she said. “I told them, ‘If you could take even one thing off my shoulders, it would help me so much.’”
Within a week and a half, she was receiving emergency food stamps.
“We went from eating ramen all the time — which is the worst thing someone with renal failure could eat — to eating chicken,” she said. “I just wanted chicken and potatoes and vegetables to feed my kids.”
So far behind on bills, she has told her children to expect nothing for Christmas.
“Even if someone gave me $1,000, it would have to go to bills,” she said. “But my kids are so understanding. They never did chores before, but now they do them without complaining because they know the shape I’m in.”
Operation Holiday will further lighten Meredith’s burden.
History
Operation Holiday was started in 1991 at The Mercury in Pottstown to help families going through tough times provide something for their children during the holidays. The mission of the program is to make sure there is food on the table and gifts under the tree when Christmas morning comes.
Now in its 35th year, the program has served thousands of families throughout Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties, expanding its reach in recent years to include communities served by readers of the Reading Eagle, The Times Herald, The Reporter, and Daily Local News.
Nearly $85,000 in donations last year provided gift cards to 366 children and grocery gift cards to 189 families, plus cash donations to food pantries in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties.
This year, Operation Holiday has partnered with 21 agencies in the tri-county area. Agencies have referred 199 families with 403 children for gifts and food.
There is no overhead with Operation Holiday and all funds stay local. Funds are collected and audited in a nonprofit foundation account managed by staff of MediaNews Group who volunteer their time.
Gift cards to area grocery stores are provided to each family for food, so that they can purchase the fixings for a holiday dinner as well as staples for the pantry. Weis Markets is a partner with Operation Holiday and has assisted with food purchases and gift cards.
Gift cards for every child in the program 16 years of age or younger are purchased through Boscov’s and distributed in partnership with the referring agencies so that families can purchase gifts of their choice.
Operation Holiday does not accept families who have not been referred by an agency.
Operation Holiday is funded solely by reader contributions. All contributions are tax deductible.
How to donate
Online donations are being accepted in a secure portal in partnership with TriCounty Community Network. Visit https://tcnetwork.org/ and click on the link for Operation Holiday.
Contributions also can be mailed with checks payable to Operation Holiday to P.O. Box 1181, Pottstown PA 19464; The Reporter, 34 Susquehanna Ave., Suite 100, Lansdale PA 19446; Operation Holiday, 1440 Lacrosse Ave., Reading PA 19607.
The names of all contributors are published in the participating newspapers as donations are received. Please note whether a contribution should be designated as anonymous or given in tribute or in memory of someone.
