I had the pleasure of meeting a remarkable, resilient, and incredibly strong woman the other day. I was walking into one of the stores to get some shopping done, when I looked over and saw an elderly white woman sitting on a bench outside of the store. She was all alone with a sad look on her face. Reluctantly, I dashed into the store, trying to remember the mental grocery list I made in my head. “Eggs, cheese, milk…eggs, cheese, milk,” I repeated over and over again. I tried to stay focused on what I came into the store to buy, but that elderly lady I saw earlier wouldn’t leave my mind.

I finally completed my shopping and walked out of the store, and to my surprise, that lady was still sitting on the bench. It had begun to rain, and I started to worry about this little old lady sitting there.

I quickly walked up to her and asked her was she okay. She nodded and said she was fine. I asked her if she needed a ride home. She told me that she just lived around the corner in the nearby apartments, and that she was just fine to walk. “Thanks for asking,” she said to me. I felt in my heart I couldn’t leave her sitting on this bench all alone in the rain. I then asked her if I could sit with her. She turned to me and said that was the nicest thing anyone said to her all day.

Forgetting all about my groceries, we began to talk. She told me her name was Mrs. Davis, and that she was a widow who lived all alone. She explained to me how life had been extremely hard for her since her husband James died last year.

“He was a good man,” she exclaimed with so much joy in her eyes. Her face would light up so bright as she began to talk about her late husband. They had been married for 20 years. Mrs. Davis went on to tell me that this was her second husband, and that her first husband, who she was married to for 31 years, was very mean to her and so controlling. But her life quickly changed when she met James. She told me how James had treated her like a queen. Then she turned sad all at once when she began to tell me how James did not plan ahead financially. “James could not hold on to a penny,” as she laughed out loud.

In 2008, they lost everything. They had to file for bankruptcy and move into a tiny little apartment. But they were happy she said because they had each other. “That made the world of a difference,” she said. She told me that having each other made things much more bearable.

James died in December of 2012, and she told me how her world changed forever that year. Since her husband’s death, she had been living on a small social security check and had been receiving food stamps. She went on to tell me how it has been a struggle to renew her food stamps every six months.

She tried her best to describe how dealing with the Department of Human Services was just like dealing with her first husband: mean and very abusive. She told me how they would always lose her paperwork, and how the case managers would give her the runaround about what information they needed in order for her to renew her benefits. Many times the caseworkers wouldn’t call her back after leaving plenty of messages. When she had a chance to have a face to face to talk with her workers, they would be so mean and nasty to her. She said they made her feel less than human.

At that point in the conversation, my heart sunk, and I began to feel sick by all of what Mrs. Davis shared with me. She told me how she just doesn’t understand why it has been so hard to apply for benefits.

I discovered that day that Mrs. Davis was 75 years old and lived on an income of $771 a month. She struggled from month to month to pay her bills. We sat on that bench that day and talked for more than 2 hours. After we talked, I asked her why was she sitting on the bench all alone outside of the store. She said they didn’t renew her benefits that day because they could not find her in the system…again. The Department of Human Services changed computer systems last week, and many individuals’ information had been lost, leaving them with the painful steps of reapplying for benefits and submitting all of their paperwork again.

Mrs. Davis said that this had been the 5th time the department had done this to her, and that she was simply tired. She began to tell me how it felt being in need of needing government assistance, and how she felt ashamed, humiliated, and basically embarrassed. All of her life, she had cleaned houses and took care of other peoples’ children, and she is the one needing a little help now. She said to me, “I gave up, that’s why I’m sitting on this bench. I gave up.” She told me that she was sitting on this bench today to forget all about what she endured. “I just wish James was here.”

I only had $55.00 on me, and I asked Mrs. Davis if we could go into the store and get the items that she needed. Her eyes became brighter as she smiled at me and said, “I knew God was going to send me an angel today.”

I drove Mrs. Davis home that day as I silently asked God how could I be of help to Mrs. Davis without intruding on her privacy. Then it came to me. I asked her if I could help her with the process of applying for benefits. She was so excited to receive my help. I knew in my heart that God allowed out paths to cross for a reason: to advocate on behalf of Mrs. Davis.

Sadly, this story is so familiar to many Americans, all ages, all races, and all backgrounds. This story is beginning to turn into a loud, overwhelming cry for help that runs throughout our “great nation”. The cries of the people have reached a boiling point, and their cries cannot be overlooked, ignored, or even stamped out. The cries will only get louder and louder until the broken system is either fixed or dismantled, allowing for the new structure to emerge, a structure that will not put a bandaid on the problem, but truly give sound solutions to fix it.

The people are hurting, and we cannot continue as if nothing is wrong. One person cannot fix our broken system. It will take a collaborative effort of compassionate, strong, and determined groups of individuals and entities who are willing to bring about the change that is so desperately needed. The cries of the people are getting louder, and we cannot ignore them any longer. The system has failed them. Now it is time for individuals like you to take a stand and answer the call to help.

My challenge to you today is not to ignore the cries of the people, but to help us help all of the Mrs. Davises out there, and the countless Americans like her. Help me help them by donating to Safe Harbor International Ministries by visiting at www.safeharborim.com. Help me fight for all the Mrs. Davises.

Please share this story with as many people as you can. Help me help the people.

Note: names and actual events have been changed to protect individuals’ privacy.

Story by Marquetta Smith, advocate for the people