 Arthella Williams has no doubt that MLM “…is the best place.” |
—with a Little Help from MLM
Arthella Williams could easily consider herself cursed, but she uses the word “blessed” more than most.
A breast cancer and double heart attack survivor, she is especially grateful for the assistance she received from MLM that helped her overcome problems almost as great as her health: financial troubles that at one point left her homeless.
The most recent challenge came last fall when she was helping her sister cook a meal. “I told her, ‘I’m getting real light headed’ and I couldn’t function,” she recalls. “I remember handing her the spatula, and then I woke up under her kitchen counter.”
As bad as that was, it was a small miracle she was not home alone. “She and her daughter called 911 and took care of me,” she noted. “That’s why I say God is good like that. The doctors told me it was a heart attack and if I’d been out much longer, I wouldn’t have made it.”
Challenges
Much of Arthella’s life has included such “half-full, half-empty” experiences. A U.S. Army veteran and former bank employee, she worked more than 18 years with the U.S. Postal Service, the Treasury Department and Department of Defense. In her last position, she was handling appropriation transfers that often involved millions of dollars. But when downsizing began, it’s possible her experience counted against her.
“I always liked computers and money,” she laughs with her typical sparkle. “But when they decided to downsize, they started with those who had the most time in. That was me. Another year or two and I’d have had a pension.”
Left with little more than Social Security disability, she soon found herself without employment and trouble finding a new position, in part because of carpal tunnel, which had developed from years of keyboarding.
“They used me up, then got rid of me,” is the closest she comes to anger.
Lessons Learned
Her work did teach her a lot, however. While with a bank credit card processing center, she saw many who got into trouble because of bad credit. Even a predecessor was discovered to have pocketed money that wasn’t his.
“I ran into a lot of people who got turned around,” she said. “You watch people who destroy their lives when they could have just worked and earned what they needed.”
As part of her work with appropriation transfers, she also became familiar with service organizations. “Some of those organizations help me now,” she said. “I’m grateful for that.”
One of her worst experiences also led her to MLM, which has proven to be her best help ever. “When I lost my last job, I was homeless and living in a parked car,” she recalled. “Then the car was repossessed and I was on porches, in and out of relatives homes. I ended up going down to City Union Mission, but you can only stay there 30 days. A woman gave me a list of other places and one was MLM. It’s been the best.”
Collaboration
Collaborating with the Bishop Sullivan Center, MLM is helping her catch up on her rent and, through the organization’s food pantry and other services, helping her make ends meet. “I tell everyone MLM is the best place,” she said. “They care. They help people and they care.”
She admits to receiving other help as well. She was scheduled for tests to see if the cancer has returned, but has opted to delay those at least for now. “I’ve turned everything over to the Lord. I know that may sound silly, but I’m just going to see what the Lord is saying. If I have any pains, I’ll go. But until then, I’ll just let the Lord tell.”
She’s optimistic, too. “I made mistakes,” she agreed. “Especially when I was young. I lived life hard. But my mother, the projects, the military and the Lord have taught me discipline. I’ll make it.”
