Written by Kit Steinaway, retired Binc program manager, pictured with Binc Executive Director Pam French (left) Over many years of assisting booksellers through medical challenges, Binc program managers have learned one very important fact: medical issues encompass much more than just paying the bills. Going through a serious medical event or dealing with a chronic […]
Category Archives: Assistance
Thank you for giving peace of mind to a frightened bookseller facing an unexpected and terrifying medical diagnosis. A routine exam led to tests, then a biopsy with a devastating cancer diagnosis, and soon a surgery with no guaranteed results. So far, insurance has paid only a portion of the unexpected costs and treatment has […]
This month your support changed the life of a bookseller navigating through a loss that would change their family forever. The bookseller was thousands of miles away from their family when they received the news that their parent’s terminal condition was rapidly worsening. There wasn’t much time and they were needed back home. With a […]
No family should have to decide between putting food on their table or having heat in their home. Or between needed dental work instead of transportation to get to work. Or between medical bills instead of rent. However, over the last month Binc has received calls for help from the heads of families that are […]
— The bookstore owner opened the front door of the store to find water dripping down the walls from the apartment above the store. Books ruined, carpet sopping wet, ceiling tiles sagging. Hours of work are ahead to open the store for business. As they start calling employees to have all hands report for duty […]
One small change, like an unexpected increase in monthly utility payments, can set off a ripple effect that overwhelms a family. Last week our program manager got a call from a bookseller that came home to the unwelcome news that their home’s heat and lights would be shut off due to money owed. They had […]
The last thing this family did before evacuating was to take a photo of their home; they didn’t know what they would find when it was safe to return. After driving miles through traffic-clogged streets, they tracked the wrath of Hurricane Ian online and knew it had roared through their neighborhood. Days later, with the […]
It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Other people are ill, get better, go back to work, and things get back to normal. That’s the way it’s supposed to happen. Sometimes, though; recovery from COVID-19 takes a little longer. Sometimes it takes a lot longer, as it did for this bookseller suffering from Long Covid […]
It happened again.Once was unusual.Twice was surprising.The third time, though? We knew you’d want to know. Binc’s Program managers contact every person that inquires about help. During the phone conversation they ask open ended questions, among them ‘what are your biggest worries caused by this situation?’ Most often the biggest worry is their upcoming housing […]
It took over two years to arrange this bookseller’s surgery. The date was confirmed, their schedule at the store covered, a collection of friends ready to help during recovery, their monthly bills pre-paid thanks to careful saving. The last thing to do was to call and double check their arrival time and check-in. That’s when […]