To James, it seemed life was testing him.  Coping with the loss of his wife and his mother within the same month, James felt hopeless.  Countless roadblocks were preventing him from moving forward and he wasn’t sure where to turn.  He decided to call Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy. 

No longer able to keep up with the physical demands of his job with a moving company, James had been forced to retire early.  James relied heavily on his wife’s social security income.  Without his own source of income at the time of her passing, James’ economic security and stability were critically threatened.  At the Advocacy Center, he was quickly connected with a Health Insurance Navigator, Cara Meyer, and social work intern, Whitney Cooper, who addressed his concerns. 

“I had a lot on my plate and they pointed me in the right direction.  Everything they could do to help me, they did. By the grace of God, Cara & Whitney have been there for me.” 

Cara helped James apply for Food & Nutrition Services to address his immediate food insecurity, as well as to apply for Medicaid for the Disabled.  Cara took it a step further, helping James make an appointment with a primary care physician for the first time in years.  James needed a doctor that was easy to get to, due to limited transportation options.  With that in mind, Cara found a physician that would accept his insurance and was easily accessible by bus.  Whitney is now helping James apply for social security disability and the team connected him with resources to appeal denied unemployment benefits and request financial assistance from Crisis Assistance Ministry. 

James is grateful for the stability Cara and Whitney have been able to provide during this difficult time.  “If I had to [navigate the situation on my own] I think I would have gone crazy.  I had so many things going on.  They have been there for me, without them, I don’t know where I would be.”  But what James appreciated the most was the dignity with which he was treated.  “I can tell by the way they talk to me and what they do for me, that they really care.  It means a lot to know I have someone I can trust to help me make my situation better.”