When Tom’s wife died after 22 years of marriage he muddled along, unable to express the deep grief he felt. His local SVP Conference provided the friendship he needed.
Plunged into a deep depression following the death of his wife, Tom felt isolated and alone. When his cooker also broke down, he felt as if things were conspiring against him. He contacted the SVP, grumbling that his ‘dismal pension’ wasn’t enough to cover the cost of replacing it. We visited to find out exactly what he needed and discovered that the kitchen appliance had very little to do with it. The first time we met him he was grumpy and embarrassed to be asking for help. We listened to his needs over a cup of tea. We were able to find him a cooker fairly quickly, but far more importantly, Tom has become a very dear friend, with whom we have shared many, many cups of tea. As is so often the case, the cooker was the cover for a much deeper need.
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