In partnership with the Milpitas Beat and Hope for the Unhoused, Inc., Milpitas Wishes brings back to the community the holiday spirit of giving, giving to those less fortunate than us. We hope to facilitate the warm feeling you can get once you make a difference in someone’s life. Each year, we envision highlighting a handful of community members in Milpitas who have experienced challenges and how we, as a community, can give them a hand.
Marge has spent most of her life living in Milpitas.
She grew up here in the 70s and 80s, then left briefly during the mid-90s. Come 2001, she returned to stay. At that time, she and her new partner, Ned, bought a house. In the 20-plus years that they have lived there, they’ve imagined someday passing the home on to their three children.
But now they’re unsure if they can even stay.
Last month, their power was turned off. Ned explains that they are “looking for work.” Since 2009, the pair has faced a string of hardships. Illness befell both Marge’s mother and grandmother, leading to the couple acting as their full-time caretakers.
Ned had been working as a general contractor, doing everything from plumbing to hardwood floor installations. In time, he developed a heart condition. And Marge had a neck surgery in 2019, impairing her ability to walk. As they search for work and wait for Social Security to kick in, the couple is feeling daily pressure.
“It’s like one thing after another,” Ned states.
On the morning of the day The Beat came to their house to speak with them, the couple had made a drive to the grocery store, which in and of itself is a challenge because of the cost of gas. But on that morning’s ride, it seemed like the power steering system was going out. Another item to worry about.
Ned showed me their Power bill. At the top, printed in big red letters, was one word: “URGENT.”
“It’s horrible. I have a heart condition and have been taking nitro like two or three times a week,” Ned explains. “One of these times, I’m just gonna drop out…”
Marge adds, “We both use C-PAP machines [for sleep apnea].” When tested, Ned had 45 breathing interruptions in the course of a single minute.
But with the power turned off, the couple cannot use their C-PAP machines. They are trying to find solar panels or battery backups, all while searching for cheaper phone and Internet options, which are hard to come by in our area.
“Have you noticed it’s a little chilly in here?” Ned asks.
It’s because they have no heat, either.
On a regular basis, Ned experiences chest pains. Even right before The Beat’s visit began, he had taken his nitro to relieve his symptoms. Presuming one can manage one’s stress, the pills can do their job. But if one is in the middle of a stressful situation, the medicine doesn’t necessarily make inroads.
The couple is considering selling their home and moving to another state. However, for the time being, they are holding on, desperate to have a large asset to leave to their children. Plus, in light of their physical limitations, moving would be difficult. In the meantime, local nonprofit Hope for the Unhoused is considering putting the pair in their Preventive program, so as to keep them from sliding into homelessness.
Readers interested in making donations to help ease Marge and Ned’s hardship going into the holidays can do so using the link below. Milpitas Wishes would like to provide them with $500 toward their PG&E bill.
