Covid 19 has caused bad things to happen to my friends this year. 'Cause of this, I want you to skip my house and take things to them.
Susie and her mother need a home. They live in a homeless shelter cause her mom isn't a waitress anymore. The restaurant closed, so people wouldn't get sick. Susie says she's scared 'cause people in the shelter bug her mom for money and get mean when she says no.
Bobby and his parents need oil for their furnace. Bobby's father lost his job at the newspaper months ago. Now, he can't afford oil. They heat their house by boiling water on a stove and turning on the oven. Firefighters told us in school that this is a bad thing to do. It could cause a fire. I'm scared Bobby's house is going to burn down, and they're all going to die.
Mikey needs water for baths and to drink. His dad lost his job at a gas station. It didn't have enough customers, 'cause so many people are working from home now. Because his dad couldn't pay the water bill, the city turned off the water. I don't want him and his dad to smell or dehydrate 'cause they don't have water.
Debbie needs a bed, warm covers, and furniture. Her mom is a writer who has lost jobs cause newspapers aren't buying as many of her stories as they used to. When they moved here, her mom couldn't afford to move their furniture or buy her a bed. So, Debbie sleeps in a sleeping bag her mom bought at a thrift shop.
Joey needs food. His parents own a gift shop, but people are afraid to go outside to shop. They don't want to catch that virus. His mom and dad put in for government help because most of their sales are in the shop, not on the internet. They haven't gotten any help. So each week they go to a neighborhood church. They get two bags of food there. It's not enough, Joey told me. He says his stomach growls so much at night, he has trouble sleeping.
Stacie's mom needs a home phone. It was disconnected because she couldn't pay her bill. She got government help to keep her flower shop open. But many people aren't buying flowers. That's cause most of her customers are people in weddings or people sending flowers to dead people. The government says only so many people can go to weddings and funerals, my mom told me. Suppose Stacie or her mom gets real sick with the virus. How can they call a doctor?
Georgie needs a computer and internet, so he can attend virtual school. He is way behind the rest of us because his parents can't afford a computer or internet service, even though his father has a job.
Santa, don't worry about toys. I'm earning money helping Mom. And, I can buy toys for my friends.
Love,
Mary