'A community of amazing people:' Ormond woman on brink of homelessness saved. Here's how
DAYTONA BEACH — For many of Sandra Kissinger's 55 years, the people who should have helped the most barraged her with abuse or failed to catch her when she was falling.
She was orphaned as a toddler when a freight train slammed into her parents' car. Then the rest of her childhood was a swirling nightmare of rape by a boy living in her foster home, heartless parenting by foster mothers and fathers, and a hearing impairment that wasn't properly dealt with.
Decades of her adult life were spent with an abusive husband, and for a short time in 2019 she was homeless.
Kissinger was in crisis again this year when she found out the lot rent was rising in her Ormond Beach mobile home park. Living off of meager government benefits, she had no idea how she was going to find another $50 every month.
She never imagined help would come from two dozen people she'd never met who read about her plight in a Daytona Beach News-Journal story last month.
Together they're giving her more than $7,100, enough to cover her rent in full for 11 months with money to spare.
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"It renewed my soul for humanity," Kissinger said. "I was like there's nobody out there who gives a rat's butt. It renewed my motivation."
Kissinger has been receiving checks and kind notes in the mail from people who wrote that they've either suffered some of the things she has or just felt compelled to help. One woman personally delivered a care package with chocolate peanut butter cookies, a new kitchen towel, coloring books, pencils, and cash.
The Jewish Federation of Volusia & Flagler Counties is delivering a bag full of groceries to her once per month, and giving $50 per month for her lot rent hike.
Most people have just sent money, what she needs most since she lives off of $16,000 annually that comes from Social Security Disability Income and a few other government benefits.
Deciding how to spend a windfall
Some people have opted to send their donations to First Step Shelter, where Kissinger got back on her feet when she was homeless. She'll soon receive the $2,600 donated to her there.
"It was really amazing to see the generosity of people reaching out to Sandy," said First Step Shelter Executive Director Victoria Fahlberg. "Volusia County is a community of amazing people."
Of the $4,500 donated directly to Kissinger, she used $3,105 to pay her rent in full for the next five months. Much of what was left is going toward catching up on bills and buying essentials she hadn't been able to afford.
One donor asked Kissinger to use $200 for her cats. She's also used the money to buy liquid rubber to patch up her leaking mobile home roof, and she went to the Prince of Peace Catholic Church thrift shop to buy three bags worth of clothing for $42.
She's been blown away by people's generosity and trust and said she'll be as practical and frugal as she can with the money.
"I'm not going to take a cruise or go out of the country," Kissinger said. "I'm not going to take advantage of anything given to me."
Making a difference for somebody
She's relieved that now she can afford to stay in her trailer for at least the next year while she looks for a long-term housing solution.
"My life has been a rollercoaster," Kissinger said. "I just want off of it."
Volusia County resident Nancy Heckler was one of the people who read about Kissinger and felt moved to help.
"She's approximately my age. There but by the Grace of God go I, " Heckler said. "I started my married life pregnant and on welfare."
She's financially solid now, and "just felt we need to share."
"I wanted to make a difference for one person," Heckler said.
'You have the responsibility to help'
Marlene Langdon said she and her husband donated because reading about Kissinger made them "realize how fortunate we are."
Langdon said she knows a lot of people struggle to find affordable housing in Volusia County and many resort to trailer parks.
"It called to us," she said.
New Smyrna Beach resident Mike Hickson said one thought kept running through his mind after he read about Kissinger's lifelong struggle.
"If you have the ability to help, you have the responsibility to help," said Hickson, who's been a local contractor for 43 years.
Hickson said he's going to give Kissinger $500 along with his name and phone number so she can call him when she's spent that money.
"We all get so caught up in our thing, and it's easy to become indifferent," he said. "We're all in this together."
You can reach Eileen at Eileen.Zaffiro@news-jrnl.com
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Ormond Beach woman saved from homelessness by generous donors
