Yes, I See There's Been Some Bickering Between

Annual Balls Signal Winter Fun

By JIM LUFT Times Leader Correspondent
 Monday, November 27, 2000 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A 





Raising one child is expensive - from clothes to food to medical care and a
college education. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Multiply that by eight, add in a devastating fire and a work-related injury
and you know what Lawrence and Virginia have been facing for more than 10
years. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When he met Virginia, Lawrence was raising his three children: Clara, 16,
Bobbi Jo, 14, and Lawrence Jr., 13. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 During the years, the family grew as Richard, 10, Virginia, 9, Garth
Brooks, 8, Lucille, 6, and Wesley, 4, were born. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Five years ago, life was good for Lawrence and Virginia and their family.
Living in Bloomsburg, Lawrence had a good job at the Heinz Pet Products plant
and they shared a triplex with family. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The good times went up in flames when a pre-Christmas fire destroyed nearly
all of what the couple owned, including the children's presents. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 With no renter's insurance and no money to provide the family with a
transition into a new home, the family turned to the American Red Cross for
help. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Red Cross provided relief and shelter for Lawrence and Virginia while
the Eagle Hose Fire Co. organized a benefit dance with the proceeds used to
help the family settle into a new home. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But that wasn't the end of their bad luck. A work accident in January
caused Lawrence to lose his job and develop a severe case of arthritis. Then,
while coming out of the bathroom, Lawrence misstepped and tumbled down a
flight of stairs. Nothing was broken, but the fall aggravated a prior injury. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Out of work and out of luck, Lawrence and Virginia decided to pack what
little they had and moved from Bloomsburg to Hazleton. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The family eventually moved to Wilkes-Barre and lived in two residences
before finding the large five-bedroom home they are renting. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Lawrence and Virginia have been selected for the Times Leader/Luzerne
Foundation Book of Dreams, the annual holiday appeal to the community to help
people with special needs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Donors may contribute any amount toward this year's goal of $21,601 by
using the accompanying coupon. If you would like your donation to go toward a
specific cause, please note that on the coupon. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 With Lawrence unable to work, Virginia was forced to leave the child care
to her husband and take up a part-time job to qualify for welfare assistance. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Virginia said she lost several good jobs because circumstances forced her
to make her children her first priority. Her loss of income crippled the
family financially. They now rely solely on the Social Security disability
checks Lawrence receives. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Virginia said she also needed to devote more time to Richard, who has been
diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactive disorder and oppositional defiant
disorder. He takes medication on a daily basis. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Lawrence Jr. had a broken leg when he was hit by a car and Lucille had to
get stitches when she split her lip on the corner of the staircase at home. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 With daily problems and medical emergencies on her mind, Virginia started
to develop heart attack symptoms - numbness in her arms and legs - brought on
by stress. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 As a result of the fire and an unstable work history, the children lack
certain things most children take for granted. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 They have no dressers for their clothes and must sleep on worn and dirty
mattresses with no box springs or frames. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Lawrence and Virginia were happy to hear they were nominated for the Book
of Dreams program by Jennifer Yarnal of Luzerne County Children &amp; Youth
Services. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``(Jennifer) helped us out a lot over the summer, whether it was health
problems or whatever was wrong. I think the Book of Dreams is a good program.
Last year I read about how it helped a family who was burned out of their home
in Plymouth. They were lucky enough to get some things they needed and
hopefully we can too,'' Virginia said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Any questions regarding this year's Book of Dreams campaign can be directed
to Kalen Churcher at 831-7329 or kchurcher@leader.net or to Stephanie Bombay
at sbombay@leader.net/ &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Dream List: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Single bed: $350 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bunk Beds: $380 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pillows: eight at $12 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Blankets: eight blankets at $19.99 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Sheet/comforter set: eight at $65.96 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Total Dream: $1,513.60 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Book Of Dreams 
Parents Of Eight Still Trying To Recoup After Devastating Fire, String Of Bad
Luck 
New Beds, Linens Will Soften Family's Plight  Editor's Note: To Provide A
Degree Of Confidentiality, Families In The Book Of Dreams Are Listed By Their
First Names Only.

Book Of Dreams Parents Of Eight Still Trying To Recoup After Devastating Fire, String Of Bad Luck New Beds, Linens Will Soften Family's Plight Editor's Note: To Provide A Degree Of Confidentiality, Families In The Book Of Dreams Are Listed By Their First Names Only.