A bookseller shared that they felt comfortable asking Binc for financial assistance for much-needed dental work because a coworker said Binc had helped them several years ago. Their coworker is a Helper. A comic shop employee completed the Binc/BetterHelp (mental health service pilot program) Inquiry Form because the store owner had posted the information about […]
Category Archives: Assistance
An employee that was dependable through the worst days of the 2020 and 2021 pandemic store closures suddenly starts coming in late and leaving early because of headaches. A manager that can solve any scheduling problem chokes back bitter retorts when employees request time off for family vacations. Shelving a new shipment, an employee bumps […]
It starts with something small. A late payment. An unexpected expense. Then it snowballs and suddenly a bookseller is living in a dark and cold apartment with no heat, light, or running water. This bookseller had been living without water and electricity for six months to keep current on their car payments and rent. They […]
The pandemic has been hard on dental health. Among other sources, the New York Times has reported that many people are delaying dental care due to cost, lack of insurance, fear of exposure to the virus, and limited appointments. This has all resulted in horrible pain from teeth grinding, jaw pain, cracked and chipped teeth in need […]
Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to live, but a bookseller found themselves grappling with housing insecurity when their building was unexpectedly sold. Finding a safe place to live was proving impossible since they needed to come up with the necessary cash to cover a security deposit, two month’s rent, and the utility deposit […]
It’s no secret that single parenting small children is tough under the best of circumstances. When a bookseller, who parents three small children, needed to take a week off work to care for all three of their seriously sick children it sent the family’s financial situation into what could have been a downward spiral. This […]
We sometimes hear that a bookseller or comic employee is so worried about a possible medical bill they put off going to the doctor or dentist for a long time. We had this kind of inquiry this week. With the encouragement of their co-workers, Stephanie* reached out to Binc after being in pain for weeks. […]
As Hurricane Ida approached, Jamie*, his partner, and their two cats evacuated from New Orleans to an out-of-state hotel. With the city and surrounding communities battered by flooding and often starting clean-up without power, Jamie and his family didn’t know when they could return or what they’d be returning to. There was so much uncertainty […]
Sean* owns a thriving bookstore housed in a turn-of-the-century building in a charming town on the Atlantic coast. Hurricane Florence, which brought more than 24 inches of water and multiple days of high winds, put the store’s future in jeopardy. The bookstore and many other structures in the town were damaged. Water came in around […]
Bad Things Happening to Good People could be the title of Yvonne’s* story. To receive assistance from Binc, a book or comic book store employee must experience an unforeseen financial hardship, referred to as a “qualifying event.” When Yvonne contacted Binc, she had experienced eight separate qualifying events in the previous 15-month period. First: After suffering a […]