So many people punch the clock 9-to-5 with no real direction day after day. We know what we do here at the Freedom Foundation is important, but sometimes we forget how important.
Today I was reminded that no matter how challenging your day is, there’s always someone who’s having it just a little rougher.
I was routinely monitoring calls from union members opting out when I received a call from a lady named Cynthia .
She was very sullen and sad when I answered and proceeded to tell me a tragic story. Cynthia, a former nurse, lived to help others and make sure they were comfortable in their lives as they dealt with the maladies that affected them.
Over the years, she contracted a number of illnesses from her patients, and she recently did so again.
The difference is, this time her condition is terminal.
The doctors told her that hospice was in order to ease some of her suffering. Meanwhile, her husband Ricardo has had to quit his full-time job and accept a stipend from Medicaid to care for Cynthia under California’s In-Home Support Services program (IHSS).
Ricardo is also a member of SEIU 2015, whose members are often pressured to sign their membership documents without actually reading them. Unfortunately, this is a characteristic trait of SEIU 2015 that has been relayed to us from multiple members.
Ricardo first tried to opt out in November, but his exit was blocked by the union. Meanwhile, the financial strain of living in California along with the union callously ignoring Ricardo’s opt out has stressed the couple’s budget to the point that every penny matters.
I took a little extra time to walk her through the process again on Optouttoday.com, and made sure she had the proper address for mailing it in.
Cynthia was crying the entire time we were going through the process, to the point where I felt my eyes welling up, too. Cynthia then proceeded to pray for me when I felt it should have been the other way around.
She asked God to provide for my family and that all our hopes and wishes be fulfilled. Cynthia called me an everyday angel brought into her life at a moment when she needed it most.
As we concluded and hung up the phone, I had to take a moment to breathe.
When the day gets busy and you find yourself wrapped in spreadsheets, mailers and processing opt-outs, it’s easy to forget why we do what we do. We’re here to make people’s lives better.
I will continue to monitor Cynthia and Ricardo’s progress in hopes that they will prevail in their challenge of opting out, as well their other challenges.
Be better, be more helpful and do what we do best — help others.
