Help Karen Stay Housed

Hi fellow WHAG alums. Karen York worked in the graphics department from 1997 to 2004, and many of us knew her well. For many of us cub reporters far away from our own families, she was a Mama figure — fun, sassy and though sarcastic sometimes, so caring. I remember the many cakes she baked for folks on their birthdays. She’s had some serious health issues and has fallen on hard times. Her lymph nodes are not working right, so her legs swell so much that she cannot feel them anymore after only sitting or standing for a few minutes. Her legs are so swollen only one pair of pants and shoes still fit her. Her arthritis is so bad it takes her minutes to type a single sentence to me on her phone. She’s allergic to the only medication that can help her with the inflammation in her body.

In pain and unable to work, she is $6,000 behind on rent and fears she’ll be evicted while her disability claim goes through the system. I know this because she’s lost so much hope that she’s struggling with the will to live. Her recent FB posts left me alarmed. I’ve never set up a gofundme before but I wanted to help Karen. I hope you’ll join me.

This is my understanding: Besides the threat of eviction, her car has stopped working. Her phone is almost dead. And she has no means to move from an apartment where she feels unsafe. For now, she’s exhausted all public assistance opportunities.

We’re a small group, and I don’t know how much we can help Karen. But it’s the holiday season, and I hope we at least can give her some hope again. Share with others who want to extend a kindness this holiday season.

Karen can access the funds as they are donated; I’ve set her up as the beneficiary.