Stories of Hope

Sherry lost her job. Then she was infected with COVID-19. She spent a month in the hospital.

“All of a sudden I was in a crisis situation with my employment and health,” Sherry said. “I didn’t know what to do. That’s when the ‘unexpected kindness’ from Barnabas helped me get through it.” Sherry is still on oxygen as she continues the long recovery from the viral infection, which she said “hit her lungs and heart really hard.” She had already endured serious heart problems that resulted in having a mechanical heart valve replacement.

“After I was discharged from the hospital with COVID, I had difficulty breathing and fluids were building up,” Sherry said. “If I had not had the online visit with the Barnabas doctor, I don’t know what would have happened to me. She told me how to quickly manage the swelling and sent me for tests.”

Sherry explained that she deeply appreciates receiving ongoing medical care and believes it is a blessing that people in the community support Barnabas.

“I have no way to repay the kindness I get from everyone at Barnabas,” Sherry said. “The world can be harsh. But the donors care enough, to care about me. I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart.”

Joseph has suffered six heart attacks and two strokes in the past 11 years. After his first heart attack in 2010, a friend told him about Barnabas and he received help with his medications. He is unemployed and his friends help him pay for health insurance.

“Through the years, Barnabas has always been there for me,” Joseph said. “The two strokes earlier this year have caused a lot of memory problems, and I can’t read and write very well. Barnabas has always encouraged me to get through each health issue. Now, I’m signed up for health insurance and I get food stamps, so I feel like the Barnabas pantry food can go to others who are in need.”

Along with his ongoing medical services, Joseph occasionally receives food from the local distribution events and power bill payment support. Barnabas’ dental care, which he has just obtained after many years in dire need, will result in much improved oral health. Joseph said his friends have been his lifeline to Barnabas.

“Because I have so much trouble explaining what I need, my friends are the ones calling Barnabas for me,” Joseph said. “Whether I need food or a dental appointment, my friends tell me that they are always treated with respect.

Everyone at Barnabas wants to take care of me! When I think about what
Barnabas does for me, all I can say is thank you. Please keep donating. There are so many people who need help.”

Jerry has lived in Nassau County for 62 years. You may have seen him around town, living outside wherever he could find a spot to stop for the night. He has significant health problems, including lupus, hepatitis, and eyesight and hearing losses. He is unemployed and uninsured. Remarkably, Jerry has endured this life-long adversity until the glorious day he read Barnabas’ sign in front of the Fernandina Beach offices.

“Before I found Barnabas, I didn’t know what to do. Then I saw the sign. It had the words ‘crisis assistance’ on it and I knew I was finally going to get help,” Jerry said. “As soon as I started talking with the people at Barnabas, I knew my life was going to turn around. I’m now living inside, in an apartment. I go to the food pantry. And I got some clothing. Barnabas saved me from living outside and always being hungry.”

Rayonier, with its corporate headquarters based in Wildlight in central Nassau County, has been a long-time Barnabas donor, providing annual grants through its Rayonier Community Fund. While Barnabas is deeply grateful for Rayonier’s generous financial support, the company’s numerous volunteers have also made a tremendous impact on helping Barnabas deliver programs and services throughout Nassau County.

“We like to call it the ‘value of volunteering’ when our employees team up with Barnabas staff to give them a much-needed hand during food distributions, packing kids’ meals, and at the Empty Bowls event,” said Kim Sartor, Rayonier Public Affairs Associate and Barnabas West Nassau Advisory Council member. “The value of our volunteers’ time and talent cannot be measured. But the significant impact is clear when we see smiles on the faces of our neighbors in need when we hand them a box of food!”

More than 35 Rayonier employees assist with food programs in Yulee, Callahan, Hilliard, Bryceville, and at the Martin Luther King Center in Fernandina Beach. In addition, Jonathan Simpson, Rayonier Director of Accounting Operations, serves on Barnabas’ Board of Directors as its Treasurer and leads the board’s finance committee.

Rayonier (NYSE:RYN) is a leading timberland real estate investment trust with assets located in some of the most productive softwood timber growing regions in the United States and New Zealand. Visit Rayonier.com to learn more.

Ready to volunteer? Contact Barnabas Volunteer Services Manager, Kimberly Cherry at (904) 261-7000 x. 118.