Local

Mandarin grandmother struggling to take care of her family gets help thanks to a nonprofit

Jacksonville, FL — Colleen Martin lives in the Mandarin area of Jacksonville on a fixed income, raising three grandchildren.

When her life hit a snag with some unforeseen financial hurdles, she tried to go back to work. Being disabled, she needed to go through vocational rehab.

“I waited a month for my appointment and the day that my appointment was, was the day that everything got shutdown,” Martin said.

That’s when she turned to ElderSource, a local nonprofit helping seniors and adults with disabilities and their caregivers through difficult times.

ElderSource provides services to 12,000 people in northeast Florida.

On Tuesday, volunteers packed bags of toiletries and supplies that will go to more than 150 seniors in need.

Usually their helpline get’s about 6,000 calls per month. Since the pandemic hit, the call volume has increased by another 1,000 calls asking for support.

"Looking for food, supplies they can’t get, mental health counseling or just someone to talk to because they’re isolated," Linda Levin, CEO of ElderSource said.

Martin told Action News Jax the organization helped her pay her electric bill and they bought her groceries.

She said sometimes it’s harder for people her age and older to ask for help. They often feel like they can handle it themselves but that’s not always the case.

“Especially with people in situations like mine, it’s not about you, it’s about your kids. You got to help them,” Martin said.

If you need help, you can call them at 1(888) 242-4464 or visit the ElderSource website by clicking here.

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