#338a   10/27/2008
Harrisonville, MO

Hello my name Is Elise. My husband was deployed with 
the Army National Guard 1139th MP unit in Missouri. We
have 3 children (son-Aaron 4ys)(daughter-Madison-5yrs) 
and (daughter-Paige-6yrs) With my husband being deployed 
to Kosovo until March09 and to turn around in May09 and 
deploy to Iraq for another year, many things have fallen into 
my already full lap. I work part time so I can be here when 
my children come home from school. With the cut in pay that 
we have had (civilian job paid more than deployment pay) 
and my having to take a different job to be here for my kids,
has overly tightened the belt that was already 4 sizes too 
small. I have been selling my belongings to make ends meet 
and yet there never seems to enough leftover after the bills 
are paid to afford much of anything else. The home that we 
moved into 2 days before he left was a forclosure and yet as
 it had many issues. We seen the potential for a great family 
home yet, with a mortgage company that thought they would 
be sneaky in our attempts to loosen the budget (paying bi-
monthly on the 1st and the 15th's) stuck us with a month and 
1/2 payment with out that being in the contract or notifying us
 previous to the phone call telling us if we didnt pay we could
 face forclosure. On this same day our water and electric were 
disconnected and my daughters ceiling started leaking. And 
when murphys law couldnt be anymore in our face, my dryer 
broke and the transmission on the car started slipping. In 
complete disbelief of these situations, i step back and cry. My
stomach is in knots everytime I speak with my husband, trying 
not to alert him to our situation. letting him know we are all ok 
when we are really not. I have always believed in the motto "pass
it forward" and have helped many in our unit with food and clothing
(though ALL of my childrens school clothing was purchased at 
garage sales) and paying their bills and now, i feel ignored and 
stabbed in the back when im tru ly needing help and they wont 
even look me in the eyes. I come here not looking for anything 
more than what is available to be given/donated. Im in a desperate 
point where the holidays are around the corner and daddy wont be
home and thanksgiving and christmas wont be he same without him.
We have saved to get him things for christmas and to ship them to 
him. I get teared up when my daughter who knew that we cant 
afford the "new this and new that" for christmas like other kids, 
asked me if she could have a pair of new tennis shoes with pink 
laces. She told me to tell santa to give her toys to a girl in her class 
because she didnt have nice things. My children are all so humble
and sweet as such a young age, i just hoped that this year, in the 
midst of a move and a deployment that the children could see that 
they were though of at christmas in all this upheavel. Thank You 
and God Bless each and every one of you and all of the military
 families that face hardship and the pain of being apart from the ones 
we love!

Yours Truly in heart and soul, 
Elise Cottrell