http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/4394987.html
| Goodfellows |
| Tresalyn Gray sits on the couch with husband Jermaine Giles and daughter Ikea, while her other children, Brajae', from left in front, A.J. and Jernay on his shoulders, share a laugh. Giles was severely injured in an auto accident in April and has not been able to work. Tony Bullard: For the Chronicle |  |
Since Tresalyn Gray's husband was injured in a car crash in April, she has focused on dealing with the emotional stress on her family. But with the holidays approaching, financial stress is setting in, too.
Without the income of her husband, Jermaine Giles, who worked for a glass company before he crushed his pelvis and broke his femur, shoulder and facial bones, there's not much money to buy holiday gifts, Gray said. The hospital bills, too, keep adding up.
"After you finish paying all the bills and things, there's nothing," said Gray, 29.
She asked Goodfellows to help make the holiday season special for her four children: A.J., 14; Ikea, 13; Brajae', 10; and Jernay, 6.
"I just wanted a little help, mainly with the two little ones," Gray said, sitting in the living room of the house she rents in northeast Harris County. "The bigger ones, they understand."
Gray had been a stay-at-home mom and an accounting student, but she is now looking for a job, preferably a customer-service or clerical position, to help make ends meet.
She and her children are Jehovah's Witnesses, who do not celebrate Dec. 25 as a religious holiday. But Gray said she usually gives her children some gifts at Christmas so they can fit in with their friends. This is the first time she has had to ask for help, she said.
Giles, 26, recently started walking again and uses a cane to get around the house. But he has a long recovery ahead before he'll be able to work again.
"He was broken from head to toe," Gray wrote to Goodfellows. "Thanks to God, today he breathes normal and is trying to walk again."
Goodfellows benefits needy children ages 2 through 10. It is funded by contributions from the public, and all money collected is used to buy gifts. The Chronicle pays other costs.
Randalls and Kroger stores will donate to Goodfellows a percentage of purchases made by their card-holding customers. Customers at Randalls should tell the store to link their Randalls Remarkable cards with account 5078. Kroger customers may request Goodfellows Kroger Share Cards by calling 713-362-7405.
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