Holiday Wishes 2022

This year, United Way of Greater New Bedford and Fun 107 are once again teaming up to fulfill Holiday Wishes for families and individuals on the SouthCoast. Tune in from starting at 6:35 am all week (Dec. 5-9) to hear how you can help these families. Holiday Wishes allows us to help several SouthCoast families in need, in hopes of making the holidays a little brighter.

Meet this year's families:

Monday 12/5
Janie & Kyle Lewis of Fall River have been living in their camper since August when there was an electrical fire in their apartment building. They are working to renovate the apartment and be in by the holidays, but the inspections are holding this dream up. They lost nearly everything in the fire and are rebuilding the best they can. Learn more.

Tuesday 12/6
Javier De La Paz of Fairhaven’s world turned upside-down when his wife was diagnosed with brain cancer in April. After a short battle, she passed away in September and Javier is doing the best he can to keep going with his son Noah, who has ADHD and is severely autistic. While he says money won’t help heal the wounds, it will help take care of the mortgage and some of the other bills as he’s still on medical leave from work. Learn more.

Wednesday 12/7
Kelsey Machado was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease and Fibromyalgia a few years ago, and it’s getting tougher for her to get around. Kelsey is in her late 30s and never imagined she wouldn’t be working at this point in her life. When she was first diagnosed, she had her own interior design business, operated a successful Etsy shop, and was also a freelance writer. Due to her declining health, she was forced to make the decision to close her business, but continued writing. She recently stopped writing because writing and typing has become painful as well. She needs assistance showering, getting dressed, shopping, etc. and can no longer drive. To help with her mobility and health, she could use acupuncture and a specialized Alinker walking bike. Learn more.

Thursday 12/8
It's been about a week since the Harrington Family woke up at 5 am to the smell of smoke and the sound of fire alarms. They quickly went to the other floors in their apartment building to make sure others were awake, able to get out of the home, and to see if they could locate the fire. Thankfully, the fire was in an unoccupied apartment in the building. Justin grabbed the kids and got them out of the building while Hannah assisted her 94-year-old neighbor out of the home. While their apartment had little fire damage, the water and smoke damage is extensive – leaving them without a place to live and without the furnishings to start over. They have been staying with relatives, but it has been tough to keep their 2-year-old and 7-month-old on a schedule while moving around. They need to replace their household items and find a new place to live. Learn More.

Friday 12/9
In January, Bonnie DiGregorio and her children found her husband unresponsive in their bathroom. Her husband, at only 39, had a heart attack. They quickly jumped into action to administer CPR and call 911, but unfortunately, he did not survive. Since January, Bonnie and her kids have struggled to pick up the pieces and move forward. Bonnie had to leave her job at the Brockton VA because she was struggling to adjust to her new life as a single mom with 3 children. She went to apply for fuel assistance and left with a job at PACE’s Childcare Works. Now that she’s back to work she’s still trying to catch up on some bills and make the house a home again for her family. They all go to therapy sessions which have become costly, but are a necessity. Learn More.

Help any of these families by texting WISHES22 to 26989 or by clicking here now.