This post is sponsored by ALittleHelp but I’m proud to be part of it.
After being a pastor’s administrative assistant for three years, I was privy to many struggles. I have seen firsthand how difficult it can be when life throws you an unexpected curve, or maybe I should say, when it feels like life hurls you into an alternate universe. It happens more than you’d think. One of the saddest situations I was aware of was a young mother trying to cope when her husband was killed in a car accident.
Kathy* and Tom* were one of those couples everyone cheers for. Tom was a large, burly guy—a big brother sort of fellow with shoulders so broad that all his friends brought their troubles to him.
Kathy always thought she would be single forever. Patient with kids, fun-loving, and content to stay at home, she was everybody’s friend but nobody’s sweetheart.
Until Tom.
And when they married, there were more teary eyes and happy sniffles than there were tissues in the whole congregation.
Life seemed to be unfurling better than Kathy and Tom ever dreamed. They bought a house and began their family almost immediately. They found out about baby number two right after daughter number one’s birthday. They were ecstatic.
And then the accident. It seemed like there were more tears than there were tissues in the whole world.
Kathy is fortunate because she has family and friends to help her, but I know how difficult the situation has been. There was no life insurance and not much in savings. Like a lot of newbie married couples, Kathy and Tom thought they had a lifetime to plan their future.
Everyone deserves a little help when tragedy happens, but not everyone has the support they need. Although Kathy had some help, I wish there had been more.
Now, there’s a new site launching that is designed to help families in Kathy’s situation. It’s an on-line community of memorial funds that helps with the unexpected financial struggles that often loom after the loss of a loved one.
It’s called ALittleHelp. It is sponsored by Legal & General America, a life insurance company with more than 65 years of experience in securing financial futures for families. ALittleHelp is designed to be more relevant, better, and more trusted than any other community funding platform in today’s market.
One of the facts that really impresses me about ALittleHelp is they don’t keep any portion of contributions (other sites take up to 9%). The focus is solely on memorial funds. Setting up a fund is simple and it just takes moments to do. The only cost is the standard Paypal transaction fee (2.9%) and per contribution fee ($0.30), which I think is impressive.
Contributions can support funeral and memorial service expenses, medical bills, mortgage/rent, school/college tuition, car payments, and child care. That’s a whole lot of peace of mind and comfort to someone who has just lost a loved one.
I encourage you to check out the site’s how-to video. It’s a great intro to understand how community funding works.
I think taking a meal to someone who is hurting is a nice thing to do so I’m sharing a favorite comfort food recipe for a now-and-later Chicken Pot Pie, but if you know of a “Kathy” situation, you’ll want to do more. Watch the ALittleHelp video and you’ll also know practical steps to help someone who is trying to cope with a tough situation.
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*not their real names
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of A Little Help. The opinions and text are all mine.
Cut whites and dark green parts off leeks. Cut in half and then cut into small half-moon shapes. Place in colander and rinse well. Pat dry with paper towel before adding to pan. Chop garlic.
In large skillet, heat olive oil and two tablespoons of butter. Add leeks and chopped garlic to the skillet and saute for 3-5 minutes. Add one additional tablespoon of butter and flour. Stir flour into the butter, making sure all the flour has been stirred in.
Add wine to flour mixture, stirring.
Slowly add 32 ounces of chicken broth; whisk until thick with no lumps. When thickened, stir in half and half.
Add chicken, peas, and carrots; stir. Remove from heat.
Roll out pie dough; place in pie pan. Pour half of mixture into the crust. Roll out second crust and place on top. Roll the edges of top crust over the edges of the bottom crust and pinch edges together. Cut 4 slits on top of pie.
Repeat with second pie.
Wrap edges of the crust with foil. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes. Make an egg wash by whisking 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water together. Remove pot pie from oven, take off the foil and brush pot pie with egg wash. Return to oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes until golden brown.
Notes
From frozen
Partially thaw pot pie on the counter (4-5 hours).
Cover with foil and bake at 325 for 45 minutes.
Uncover and continue baking another 15-20 minutes until crust starts to brown.
Remove from oven and brush with egg wash.
Return to over for another 5-10 minutes until golden brown.
Layne is a boy mom in love. Surrounded by three adventurous little men, she's in pursuit of an empty laundry basket, the perfect cup of coffee, and sleep. She blogs, parents, and manages social media while wearing her tiara.
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