Letter: Thank you to the amazing community of Pahrump

My husband and I were smart, we felt. We prepared for our retirement and we were doing very well on our fixed income in our new home that we moved to, away from the big, scary city southeast of us.

Life was good for the two of us.

Then, suddenly, two children (9 and 7-year-old grandchildren) are thrown into the mix, full time to raise, and we are stunned. Not only are we dealing with the emotional situation of what’s happened to mom and dad, and why they don’t get to have the children, but now we have the added expense and we are sort of freaking out. Insurance, dental, school activities, clothes, shoes (constantly because they grow so fast), and on and on, not to mention the physical demands on our much older than their young parents’ bodies … stunned and sore.

At the time this all happened it was the beginning of December, right in the middle of the holidays and these poor babies were so frightened. They had been to three schools and three homes in three months.

PopPop and I were strapped for cash and also have 14 other grandchildren and family to remember spread around the country. What a dilemma. The children came to us with the clothes on their backs and we needed everything and winter clothes as well. Toothbrushes, underwear, sundries, all the things we take for granted.

When I enrolled these children into Manse Elementary I was so lost. Everything has changed so much, I was struggling to keep up, after all it has been 30 years since I had children in elementary school and my brain and body are not working as quickly as they used to. I felt helpless.

Then came our blessing. Everything we needed for these babies was addressed right there with the school staff.

Clothing, sundries, breakfast, lunches (weekends too!), coats, gloves, hats and scarves, places to go for other resources and people to contact.

The Angels most of all, they gave these children the best Christmas ever. They were so afraid Santa would not know where they were this year because of all that has happened to them.

And I am so overwhelmed, to tears, for all the love, hope, help and assistance that has been given to us. The entire staff, office, teachers, counselors, EVERYONE, many I don’t even know about, behind the scenes angels.

Please know our gratitude, we thank you so much. The community here is an inspiration.

I am proud to have chosen in our retirement to live here three years ago.

I never would have known this side of our community before this all happened to us, and I know that being here only made it much less difficult to deal with. I feel my grandchildren’s future in this community is an experience that will change their lives for the better. EX MALO BONUM.

Our family sincerely thanks you all.

Leslie Moreno