Stories To Inform & Inspire

In many respects, the American system for caregiving, broadly conceived, is structured in two tiers. Those in the upper tier can afford care or have employer-provided insurance. These individuals and families have access to medical, mental health, educational, and spiritual services and support. They are also statistically less likely to need resources and support that those individuals and families who make up the bottom tier.

Those who cannot afford services and support are, on the other hand, much more likely to benefit from greater access. We at the Cornerstone Foundation have made it our mission to fill the gap in the system by subsidizing services and care where it’s most needed—where it will help mend, strengthen, and build lives.

Read on to be informed and inspired. Each of these stories is factual in every respect save one: only the names have been changed.

Jaclyn & Latoya

When Jaclyn cut her wrists in a desperate cry for help. Her grandmother and legal guardian, Latoya, quickly rushed her to the hospital. Jaclyn, who was sixteen at the time, would get the very best care that money could provide… until someone asked about insurance. Latoya would later share with her pastor and his wife, “Everything changed when I told them we didn’t have insurance.”

Jaclyn would be admitted to the local psychiatric hospital for observation, then discharged a few days later. While a patient there, she witnessed aspects of a system she hopes to never see again. Now Jaclyn finds herself strongly motivated to get the help she needs to overcome her mental and emotional challenges. With her grandmother’s help, she would make an appointment to see a Christian psychiatrist. This doctor prescribed medications to help stabilize Jaclyn’s mood and manage her anxiety. Only there was no way they could afford it. “I didn’t have the $289,” Latoya told her pastor’s wife. “What are we supposed to do now?”

Paxton & Linda

At only 18 years of age, Paxton knew something was wrong when his thick black hair started coming out in clumps. Understandably concerned, Paxton and his mother, Linda, quickly scheduled an appointment with their family doctor. They would eventually learn that he was losing his hair as his own body attacked his hair follicles. Paxton has alopecia.

It’s been several years since Paxton’s diagnosis. Since then, he’s hopped from counselor to counselor off and on to treat his severe depression and anxiety. Paxton struggles to hold down a job due to his crippling social anxiety. Linda, a single parent since Paxton was a child, makes very little and so often relies on family to support Paxton’s mental health care when things get desperate.

After a recent stint in rehab for marijuana addiction, Paxton acknowledged that he needed to get serious about his problem. His mom’s insurance would only cover part of the costs for Paxton’s recovery.

Jessie & Sharon

Jessie is 15 and a homeschooler. She hardly leaves the house now except to visit her elderly grandparents or for sessions with her pastoral counselor. Jessie’s mom, Sharon, is a single parent and worries about Jessie being home all the time.

When Jessie was still in public school, her guidance counselor suggested to Sharon she might test on the neurodivergent spectrum. Sharon couldn’t afford to get her tested.

Jessie’s pastoral counselor has never charged Sharon for sessions because he is paid by his church. But when he moved on from that church, Sharon worried that Jessie might lose the progress she’s made in recent months. Skilled, no-cost mental health care is not available any place near Sharon.