1st Quarter, 2015

Sometimes, making a difference takes much less than you might think. At PHP, we foster and value a staff that is caring, compassionate, and thinks outside of the box and their program or service comfort zone. We ask personnel to be problem solvers rather than neatly fit clients’ needs into one of our programs or one of another agency. A prime example of this occurred recently when a mother of two high school students met with a PHP Advocate seeking financial assistance. Near panic and in tears, she explained that the family of 3 had been trying to live on $500 each month for some time.

The client’s sons were suffering from the stress of their living arrangements, which caused their behavior to change for the worse and their grades to decline. Although she had worked in the Valley for years and earned a good income, the IRS was garnishing her wages, which left her with the $500. The garnishments were a result of a divorce. An ex-spouse had agreed to file tax returns and pay taxes as part of the divorce settlement, but had not complied with his agreement. The IRS was holding her responsible.

PHP’s Advocate helped this mom immediately by addressing the family’s basic needs for food, rent support to prevent eviction, and utility assistance to keep the lights and heat on. Next, recognizing that the help provided thus far was a stop gap measure, as the garnishments would continue, the Advocate consulted with senior PHP employees. One of these employees suggested a local tax and accounting specialist that worked with PHP might be willing to voluntarily intercede. The employee made a single call to the accountant who happily accepted the challenge. The client was given the accountant’s contact information and immediately made an appointment. Within one week the garnishments ceased and the accountant “angel” was quickly able to negotiate a reasonable payment plan. This outcome allowed the family to return to stability.

CONCLUSION

It didn’t require hundreds of hours or thousands of dollars to change the trajectory of this family’s life. What it did take is PHP’s employees acting on the philosophy to go the extra mile to make a difference.