By Joseph Candelaria

When someone calls the Charities Hub intake line, a call specialist determines if we can help them. If we can, they are connected with a case manager, like myself, who oversees specific assistance programs.

One client spent two months calling agencies for financial help only to be told she wasn’t eligible. When we said we’d get her what she needed, she was in shock. She still calls me from time to time to say hello or that she has me in her prayers.

Our approach is to meet people where they are. I want them to feel comfortable talking to me—like, we are sitting on the bus and talking about their problems and I get to be the passenger who says, “You know what? I can help you with that.”

So our challenge is to ask, “How did you get here?” with empathy, without the person feeling like I’m disrespecting or judging them. They won’t say much in the first five minutes, but then they start to open up.

The moment they see my case manager hat on, things change. I especially see this when I ask about a budget plan. They feel shame about their situation. But many times, the reason they’re in a hard place is because they bought something for their kids’ school or got them a Christmas present. Who am I to judge a mom for wanting to be a mom?

We want to make sure my clients are not in the same situation in six months. So, when we do their budget plan, I’ll say, “You might feel like the problem is too big, but we can do some corrective action here that will make a difference.”

With seniors, some have children to help—bless those who do—but a big number have no one. They don’t know how to do email, or forgot their password, or can’t send a screenshot. I say to them, “Don’t you worry. Nobody was born with this knowledge. I will be here with you step by step. We’ll get through this.”

They are so humble and they ask for so little. Sometimes they won’t take all the assistance they are eligible for because they want to be able to call later in the year to be able to have a holiday meal. That breaks my heart.

Once I connect with my clients, I give them my direct line. I tell them, “Don’t call the intake line again. Call me direct. I am your case manager now.”