Physicians know how difficult it is for a patient to heal from a serious illness without basics like proper nutrition, shelter, and a support system of caring people. But many disabled people in DuPage County do not have these basic necessities and are unable to help themselves because of debilitating injury or illness.

    To help these people, the Barbara K. Brent Disability Fund was founded in 2005 by SARET charitable organization, a 20 year old not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing housing and other emergency assistance to disabled people, the elderly, indigent refugees, and single parents who face homelessness. The Barbara K. Brent fund is aimed specifically at aiding residents recently diagnosed with serious health conditions, or disabled by injury as they wait months or years to qualify and obtain federal government support programs like social disability insurance. Barbara K. Brent was a human needs advocate for the homeless and the disabled and the first director of the PADS program for the homeless of DuPage County. SARET was founded 20 years ago in memory of a two-year-old Cambodian refugee named Saret Yann, who died in Wheaton, of aplastic anemia.

    In order to build support for the Disability Fund, SARET desires to establish a strong relationship with the medical community. The organization is asking physicians and other healthcare providers to support the fund with an annual pledge of $1,000 or more and get involved with the program’s operations. SARET also wishes to serve as a resource for physicians and other medical personnel to refer their needy and disabled patients to for financial assistance. The goal for the Disability Fund is to raise $300,000 in fiscal year 2006 in order to serve 50 or more families with housing subsidies each month, as well as $100,000 for SARET’s general fund that serves other segments of the needy population. With each fiscal year, the organization hopes to double its assistance programs to meet the needs of more families with disabilities.

    SARET’s board of directors believes that those with disabilities have more difficulty accessing aid than other needy groups, partly because most aid programs are limited to a one-time assistance each calendar year. But people with medical challenges are vulnerable and dependent needing ongoing assistance. SARET’s strong needs-based philosophy aims to help clients through a crisis, while providing moral and emotional support along with economic aid.

    Born and raised in Israel, SARET founder and president Chana Bernstein, saw how her country took in two million Jewish refugees during the 1950s and within one decade these people were housed and provided with medical and economic support and jobs. Israel today is a vibrant, high-tech, and culturally rich country. Bernstein said, “If a tiny and impoverished country like Israel was in the 50s could accomplish this result in less than ten years, why has the wealthiest of nations in the world failed to meet the basic needs of the poor, aged, and ill?”

    With the help of the medical community, the dream behind the Barbara K. Brent Disability Fund will come true. For more information, please call (630) 842-8876, or visit SARET’s Web site at http://www.saretcharitablefund.org/

What some of our clients say about SARET’s disability aid program:

    “I was a middle class mother of three. I was a stay at home mom, a girl-scout leader, involved in my children’s lives and our church. I got sick, had four major surgeries within a two year span, and my husband left me after the 4th surgery. The court system did not protect me to assure a living income. In 2002 I woke out of a 27 day coma to find myself completely destitute. I have lived in severe pain since July of 1993. My Social Security attorney told me about SARET, The SARET organization has given me value, hope and a reason to live and fight to get better and healthier. I tried so hard to find help within my community. I knocked on every charity I could find, but could only receive minimal help one time a year. I could barely walk or talk I was so ill. It boiled down to reconciling myself to the idea that I would have to live in my 1992 car. I wondered how I will brush my teeth, wash, and eat. How could I keep myself safe and warm and not get arrested for parking in places you are not supposed to park. Knowing how little hope I had makes me want to work harder and help SARET help other people like myself. ”
A.G. lives in Eastern DuPage.

    “My wife and I have been homeless for two years with our little 4 year old son. Our life spinned out of control when I developed a perforated ulcer that contributed to my missing several weeks of work. My wife during that time developed complidcations from diabetes and we got behind on our rent. We were evicted. Our son was two then. Next our car broke down. Without a phone and an address it became very difficult if not impossible to find work. Our very bright little boy has not had the benefit of stability, toys, his own bed, and it breaks our heart not to be able to provide for him. We recently learned about SARET and asked them if they would put us up in a motel over the holidays because it was so cold and my son was getting a lot of respiratory problems. It was hard for my wife to walk with neuropathy in her feet. They put us up in a motel for two weeks and knowing we had no way to carry much food they brought nutritious food to the motel. They also gave us bus passes and some food cards when we run out of our link card. They informed us that my wife needs to apply immediately to social security for SSI due to her medical condition and advised us of more benefits we could get until I can find work. I have applied in hundreds of places for jobs. I don’t have much education and was a fork lifter for many years. SARET is currently trying to raise funds to get us into an apartment. We had no hope but now we are praying that they will be able to help us get back on our feet”.
R. L. Homeless in DuPage