Dick & Jane Interrupted

Justin cropped Super LawyerBy Justin O’Dell

We left Dick and Jane with the subject of a letter threatening legal action by Dick’s old company for violation of his employment contract.  Before we see what happens, the lives of our little family are once again being interrupted.

This month’s interruption is designed to introduce a new feature to our newsletter, blog and website.  Each month hereafter, we will feature a community section and we will highlight the work of a local non-profit, specifically a non-profit agency with whom we are involved and support.  We will briefly mention our involvement, but devote most of the space to describing the agency, their mission and their upcoming event.

To introduce the new feature, we have decided to use Dick and Jane.  We will get back to their lives and legal issues next month and most months thereafter.

You may recall that the eldest daughter, Lindsay, is an avid cross-country runner.  Dad (a UGA grad) is often at events yelling “Run, Lindsay, Run”.  This year, Dad is proud to sponsor Lindsay to run in the GOBBLE JOG benefiting MUST Ministries.  Dick and Jane don’t talk about it much, but Jane has an older brother, Frank, who has struggled with homelessness in the past.  Frank appears outwardly to be normal, however issues with mental illness have made it hard for him to maintain employment and a family structure.  While on proper medication, he is functional and productive.  However, the medication has strong side effects and he does not feel good, so he stops taking them.  Once this happens, a downward spiral ensues.  Part of his illness causes him to run away from family and other loved ones who try to help him.

MUST Ministries has and continues to be there for Frank.    MUST is able to provide him with shelter, food and a warm and loving environment.  The caring and understanding volunteers have become folks that Frank can trust.  Once in the care of MUST Ministries, Frank is able to get medical treatment and get back to normal.  As he regains himself, MUST is there to help Frank find employment and get back to being productive.

Frank’s family struggles because of Frank’s issues.  His ex-Wife works 2 jobs, but she and children rely heavily on public assistance and other forms of support when Frank spirals, loses his job and cannot pitch in.  Often times, the best meals that the children receive are the free breakfast and free lunch at school.  Unfortunately, during the summer, these meals are not available.  Thankfully, due to the MUST Ministries summer lunch program, these children (and hundreds of others) are guaranteed a healthy meal every day.

We all have a Frank in our family, a friend’s family or as someone we know.  Sometimes homelessness is not a person’s fault or the result of bad choices.  Sometimes life just takes a wrong turn.  MUST Ministries is there in these situations and is there to help those in need.  MUST Ministries firmly believes that a hand up is far better than a hand out.  Rather than just provide a meal and shelter, MUST Ministries engages in transforming a life and making sure that a person can return to being productive.

This is why Lindsay is proud to support MUST Ministries by running on Thanksgiving Day in the Gobble Jog.

This is why O’Dell & O’Neal is proud to support MUST Ministries in contributing toward this worthy event.  If you want to do the same, follow the links, seek them out and do what you feel led.

Thanksgiving Day Gobble Jog

MUST Ministries