Family needs help with rent, necessities to ‘get stable’
Editor’s note: To donate to the Torres/Sanroman family, the subject of today’s Reindeer Gang feature — the Telegraph’s annual profiles of people and families in need at Christmas — call June O’Neal at 478-765-8624.
The 11-year-old said she was thankful to have a roof over her head, even if it was falling down a little.
Ximena Sanroman and her four siblings always have a smile on their faces, despite their family’s struggles.
Sandra Torres, 32, and her five children moved from Texas, where they’d lived all their lives, to Macon in September 2016. The single mom said she needed to get away after three of her family members died within a four-month period.
But their new life in Macon got off to a rocky start. Torres found a job at Domino’s in December and then at Sabor Latino restaurant. But when her car died in August, she couldn’t afford to have it repaired and had no way to get 15 miles across town to work.
She walked from home searching for work until she was hired as a waitress and cashier at El Carnaval in mid-November. She’s been working 40 hours a week. Torres said she’s generally able to get rides to work, but she makes the 3-mile journey home on foot.
“This mom has inspired me by her willingness to walk three miles each way every day until she found a job. This family is resilient,” said June O’Neal, the executive director of the Mentors Project. She nominated the family for the Reindeer Gang.
Torres is behind on rent for the family’s mobile home off Houston Road, which is $250 a month. It’s seen better days, with cracked windows, warped boards and bent siding. Torres and her three daughters — Victoria, 15; Mariana, 12; and Ximena — share one bed, and her boys, 14-year-old Carlos and 9-year-old Samson, sleep in the living room, Torres said.
Without transportation, it’s been hard for the family to get to doctors’ appointments and to the store for groceries and medications. Ximena had surgery for congenital scoliosis when they were living in Texas, and Torres tries to keep her warm so her back won’t hurt. Victoria has struggled with depression and Carlos with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
“The children are well-behaved, polite and always appreciative. That translated to me that they have a mother who really cares about them and the way they behave,” O’Neal said. “Despite having to share a bed or sleep on the floor, they never complain.”
The family could use two sets of bunk beds, blankets, comforter sets, shoes, coats and money for rent and car repairs.
Torres said she just hopes to be “able to get stable and get the kids what they need and maybe some stuff they actually don’t need that they want.”
Andrea Honaker: 478-744-4382, @TelegraphAndrea
Can you help?
Contact June O’Neal with the Mentors Project at 478-765-8624 to make a donation. The family could use:
- Money to help with rent and car repairs;
- Two sets of bunk beds;
- Blankets and comforter sets;
- Coats: Women’s size medium/large; boys’ 14/16 or men’s medium/large; girls’ 12/14 or women’s medium; girls’ 12; boys’ 9/10.
- Shoes: Women’s 8.5; men’s 7.5; women’s 7.5; girls’ 4.5; boy’s 5.
- School uniform shirts: Green, gray or orange polo shirts, same sizes as coats.
- School uniform pants: Black or khaki. Women’s 4; boys’ 12; girls’ 12; girls’ 10. Note: The youngest child doesn’t need school uniforms but wears boys’ 9/10 in pants and shirts.
This story was originally published November 27, 2017 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Family needs help with rent, necessities to ‘get stable’."