Family of six struggles after mother has to quit job

CLOSE

Here’s what you need to know about the Caller-Times Children’s Christmas Appeal campaign.

Wochit

Jacob and Amanda  were living a charmed life. 

The married couple of five years moved to Corpus Christi in December 2019 after Jacob was promoted  in the military. Amanda quickly found work in the Coastal Bend after earning her college degree a few months earlier. 

The pair were finally in a good place. Both were working dream jobs and living comfortably with their four children.

“Everything was great,” Jacob said. “We were both working and we were happy with how things were.”

In May, things took a turn for the worse.  

The family’s caretaker informed the couple that she could no longer watch their children after receiving a job she couldn’t refuse. 

Buy Photo

Caller-Times Christmas Appeal (Photo: Corpus Christi Caller-Times)

With Amanda’s job requiring her to work in-person and Jacob on military contract, the family had no choice but to take matters into their own hands. 

Amanda quit her job to take care of her kids full time –– leaving the family with one source of income. 

“It was hard because I was working at a job I loved,” Amanda said. “Once COVID-19 hit, I was able to work from home but then they wanted us back at the office. It was hard because our kids are home schooled. That’s what made everything harder.“

The family shied away from finding another caretaker with COVID-19 numbers rising.

Bills started to pile up around the house and the chance of things getting back to normal started to become impossible.

Living in a new city and with no other family to turn to, Jacob and Amanda realized they were on their own. 

“I feel like I’ve let the kids down,” Amanda said. “That’s the hardest thing about everything. I feel like I can’t provide for the family, and I’m putting the weight on my husband’s shoulders. With COVID-19 going on, I don’t want to hire anyone because I don’t know if they have it or have been around someone who has it.”

One of the hardest situations for the family is Jacob being gone for days, weeks and even months at a time. Since the pandemic started, he’s been gone for as many as 45 days.

His absence leaves Amanda alone to make sure homework is complete for three kids, and their 1-year-old Johnathan is taken care of. 

“You have three kids going to school online –– including a 1-year-old that runs around getting into who knows what when you’re not paying attention to him,” Jacob said. “It’s almost impossible for her.”

Jacob never knows how long he’ll be gone each time he walks out the door. His duties require him to care for hundreds of soldiers at any given time or place. 

His biggest fear, though, is being gone so long that his kids forget who he is. 

“I’ll never forget when I went overseas and when I came back home, my daughter didn’t remember me,” Jacob said. “It takes a toll. Not only on us as parents but on my kids. It takes a toll on both sides. They aren’t attached to me as much as they are with their mom. They are my kids, and I want that relationship with them. It’s hard. When things take off at work and I’m needed, I gotta go.”

Michael, 7, is the oldest of their children and suffers from Dyslexia and ADHD. He’s also the only adopted child of the four. 

Jacob and Amanda, who were also adopted as kids, saved him from a drug-related family shortly after his birth. 

Despite his struggles, he still helps by being a good older brother for his sister Crystal, 4, Adam, 3, and Johnathan.

“He’s a very helpful kid,” Jacob said. “That’s the good thing about him. He loves to help at home with whatever he can. He also loves to help me. He fills in that big brother role. I don’t think he knew he was going to take on that role, but he loves it.”

The holidays will be different for the  family this year. Without help, there won’t be any presents to open on Christmas day or taking a family vacation like they normally do during the winter break.

“There won’t be any presents to open on Christmas Day this year,” Jacob said.

The family hopes better days are ahead, and they aren’t giving up the hope of things returning to normal. 

Jacob said his wife being a loving mother to their children when he’s away is what keeps him sane. 

“I get hard on myself because I’m supposed to be the provider,” Jacob said. “My wife helps me calm down. We wake up each day and just continue on. We have a quote we like to say to each other: ‘If it’s meant to be it will happen.’ She always tells me, ‘If it works out, it will work out.'”

The children represent thousands who will be helped by the Caller-Times Children’s Christmas Appeal. The names of the families profiled have been changed to protect their privacy.

Since 1973, The Caller-Times has reported the struggle of needy children and their families during the holiday season. All the money donated to the Christmas Appeal campaign benefits the children; all overhead costs are borne by the Caller-Times, United Way of the Coastal Bend and participating agencies. This year, the Nueces County Record Star and the Alice Echo-News Journal joined the campaign.

Participating agencies include Boys & Girls Club of Alice, Duval County Christmas Committee, the Kleberg County Welfare Department, Nueces County Department of Social Services, the Odyssey After School Enrichment Program in Rockport, Sinton for Youth Inc. and the Purple Door.

HOW TO DONATE

Here’s three ways to help:

*Fill out the donation form on Page 2A. Make your check or money order payable to Children’s Christmas Appeal and mail to: United Way of Coastal Bend, 4659 Everhart Road, Corpus Christi, TX, 78411 (designate funds to Children’s Christmas Appeal)

*Donate online at www.uwcb.org. Look for the Christmas Appeal logo.