NE SUNDAY AFTERNOON I was sitting in my office trying to catch up on paperwork when the phone rang. It was Maxine, a longtime Associate of CHRISTUS St. Joseph’s Home. Maxine had no idea I was at work that day but had called the switchboard operator to get my home phone number because I was her supervisor. Grief-stricken, she went on to tell me that her son, Tracy, had been found dead that morning. He was only 30 years old, so this came as quite a shock to all of us. As the mother of a son of my own, I felt physically ill when I heard the news. Maxine and I talked for a while, and I assured her we would do whatever we could to help. Of course, my only thought was, what could we do?

The answer came to me over the next few days. Maxine, who was raising 12 children while working as a certified nursing assistant, had little money set aside in savings. And as is the case with many young people who think they will live forever, her son Tracy had no insurance. Someone suggested that we take up a collection to help Maxine with the unexpected financial burden of this tragedy. It would do little to ease her pain and grief, but would certainly show that we loved her and were willing to help with one small part of the difficulties she was facing. Over the next week, Associates, consultants and even residents of the CHRISTUS St. Joseph’s Assisted Living Center where Maxine works collected nearly $1,000 to help offset the expenses for Tracy’s funeral.

Not only were we able to assist Maxine financially, our dietary Associates prepared a meal to be delivered to her home, while many Associates and even residents attended Tracy’s funeral. Her co-workers pulled extra shifts to allow Maxine some much-needed time off. She was also able to take advantage of the counseling services of a graduate student at the University of Louisiana at Monroe who, at the time, was completing part of her internship at CHRISTUS St. Joseph’s Home.

The evening Maxine arrived back at work, she was scheduled to work with a new Associate who had been hired while she was out. I spoke with the Associate to make sure she was aware of Maxine’s situation, but she had already heard of Maxine’s loss and said she might be able to help her, as she had also lost a young son. It is amazing how God can work in any circumstance!

The Associates and residents of CHRISTUS St. Joseph’s Home and the Assisted Living Center wrapped Maxine in love and showed her the true spirit of our Mission statement…to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. Once again, we were all reminded of the family we have at CHRISTUS St. Joseph’s Home, as well as how fortunate we are to have such a great place to work every day. It touched me greatly to see the love that poured out to Maxine in her time of dire need.

Jennifer Bass
resident services coordinator
Assisted Living Center
CHRISTUS St. Joseph’s Home
Monroe, Louisiana