My name is Jim. I live, work, and have my being at The Midnight Mission. One day while visiting my aunt at California Villa Assisting Living & Retirement Hotel, I met 64 year old Richard Battelle. Richard has no legs. They were amputated below the waist approximately 6 years ago due to severe blood clots. Richard, a nice, well mannered, rather grizzly looking man has no family. I had often seen him wheeling about his rickety old wheelchair while visiting my aunt. On occasion, I would run over to the store for him and get him his beloved cigarettes. He could not cross the street safely with the wheelchair he had. Mr. Battelle: “What does a man got after all I’ve been through?!”
Richard’s sole income is SSI, the majority of which goes to his room and board at California Villa. He has only a few dollars left over for his toiletries and tobacco. I found out that Medi-Cal will only supply one major medical appliance, or wheelchair, once every 6 years. He had 2 more years to go until he could get a new one. I wanted to help but wasn’t how. I decided to find a way…
I turned to the staff at The Midnight Mission, and they became interested. I have watched them help hundreds of people without profit motive regardless of race, creed, or religion. The Midnight Mission truly wants to help people be self-sufficient, to treat them with empathy and respect, and to help provide the necessities of life in a time of need. They practice a standard that fed over 1 million people last year alone! That is awesome!
I am happy to report that they found a wheelchair. A brand new wheelchair! I delivered the wheelchair myself and was overwhelmed by the joy and gratitude upon Mr. Battelle’s face.
The Midnight Mission is changing the world one soul at a time. Improving the quality of life of those less fortunate than ourselves; they have been doing it for 100 years now. I am proud and honored to be a part of such an organization, its standards, its service, and the intrinsic value it has to the community in which it serves.
I would like to thank all the people who donate their time and money to The Midnight Mission. It is by their generosity that The Midnight Mission can do what they do best…help people and save lives. I should know, because they saved mine…
Written by: Jim Hartley