February 2023

Dear Just 5 Family,

In February, our board was presented with the case of a single mother in our community that has been struggling to make ends meet due to a developing medical condition. After moving to New York from Los Angeles with her son, our recipient suffered from a severe hand injury that resulted in permanent nerve damage. Afterwards, she started experiencing a tingling numbness sensation in her feet that increased in intensity each day and began to spread upwards. Eventually a point was reached where she had difficulty walking, which lead her to seek medical attention and her eventual diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, a potentially debilitating neurodegenerative disease.

Our recipient presently holds a position as an assistant catering to individuals with special needs. However, following her diagnosis in December, her condition has adversely impacted her manual dexterity and thereby her job duties and has compelled her to undertake frequent visits to medical practitioners for costly treatments that are not covered by her insurance.

Between rent payments, her son’s tuition, and piling medical bills, her monthly income is not enough to cover her expenses. With very little financial support from the government, and no immediate family to reach out to, our recipient needed a helping hand.

With your generous donations, Just 5 presented our recipient with $2,500 to help pay for her treatments. Despite balancing a full-time job while raising her son, in her spare time, our recipient attends school in hopes of acquiring a Bachelor of Arts in education and aspires to receive a Master’s in special education.

We would like to thank our Just 5 members for your kindness, generosity, and unwavering support. Your contributions have truly made a difference, and we are honored to have each one of you as a valued partner in our efforts to make our community a better place.

Love,

Just 5 Board