"Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always."
“I’ve seen a lot over the years. From people being minutes away from the Sheriff's knock on the door for eviction or being suicidal or on the verge of losing their job due to transportation issues. But with COVID-19, the lost of basic needs is staggering. It's beyond comprehension."
Royal Oak, MIchigan (PRWEB) May 11, 2020
“I got nowhere else to turn. Please, please help me. I am so desperate!”
Those words of anguish are often found in the steady stream of distraught emails that Bob Schwartz has received over the last 12 years. But during COVID-19’s economic devastation, Schwartz has seen a remarkable increase in need. He’s operated his unique grassroots and hands on Here to Help Foundation since 2008, in Detroit and surrounding communities, and has assisted over 8500 people in his unassuming yet profoundly significant way.
"I’ve seen a lot over the years. From people being minutes away from the Sheriff's knock on the door for eviction or being suicidal or on the verge of losing their job due to transportation issues. But with COVID-19, the lost of basic needs is staggering. It's beyond comprehension."
Schwartz is in the trenches, helping people when all hope has been lost. But it's nothing like what he's seeing now. From essential workers needing a used vehicle to get to work; to those laid off and struggling to pay rent while unemployment benefits have yet to begin; to domestic violence victims fleeing to a new residence and needing furniture; to overdue utility bills of families fearing shutoff, and transportation issues for senior citizens needing to get to medical treatment.
Schwartz has been there to quietly, but heroically, provide emergency assistance in a time of crisis to those in need. He helps people in a myriad of ways including car repairs, rent/security deposit, used vehicles, furniture and utility assistance amongst many other forms of help.
He allows people to face their tipping point and come out on the right side. The side of hope and sustenance. But Schwartz doesn’t let the overwhelming nature of the need in his community to overwhelm him. Far from it. He knows he can’t help everyone, but he can help a tremendous amount of people. That means fielding hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of emails and phone calls with pleas for assistance as Schwartz is relentless in his approach to help all that he can.
Since mid-March he’s been able to help a tremendous number of people who all have desperate stories of both despair and determination. Such as essential worker Alicia Grier, as shown in this recent Fox 2 News Detroit story, battling daily to get to her essential worker job.
Schwartz will remain ready, willing and able to assist for he truly is “Here to Help.”
For more information, including helping to spread the feel-good story of people helping people and getting a Here to Help Foundation in your area, contact Bob at heretohelpfoundation@icloud.com or (248) 330-7271
