Wrong Number Miracle @ NBC7 San Diego

(From 2009 but republished today)

Virginia Saenz could hear the desperation in the voice of the telephone message. It was 5 a.m. on the day before Thanksgiving, and the caller, Lucy Crutchfield, was trying to tell her daughter that she'd send money for groceries -- but she'd have to miss a mortgage payment to do it.

But Crutchfield dialed the wrong number. Instead of getting her daughter, she got Saenz, a real estate agent from the San Diego suburb of Tierrasanta.

"I know right now we are all struggling," Saenz said. "Lisa on the phone, she sounded so desperate for her daughter, it broke my heart."
Saenz did the only thing she could think of -- she called Crutchfield back and said not to worry. Crutchfield would pay the mortgage, and Saenz would handle the groceries.

"She said, 'You have the wrong number ... don't worry any more,' " Crutchfield recalled.
For Crutchfield, it was a holiday miracle. Her house is already in foreclosure. Her mother recently passed away, and Crutchfield is now trying to pay off her house. She had a money order prepared to make a mortgage payment on that house -- but was going to cash it in when her daughter called asking for money.
"I thought I was going to lose that house, too," Crutchfield said.

Saenz told Crutchfield to keep her money and promised to take care of her daughter. The real estate agent then called Crutchfield's daughter.
"I asked her what she would like, what her kids like, and then I felt really bad because she said she only wanted eggs and milk," Saenz said. "When somebody only asks you for eggs and milk, they are in a really bad situation."
So Saenz went grocery shopping on Thanksgiving morning with her 14-year-old son in tow to tell her what kids liked to eat. They bought food for a Thanksgiving dinner and enough groceries to get Crutchfield's daughter through the end of the month -- her next payday.

She said the act of giving made "the day special for me."

"I helped somebody," Saenz said Friday. "I think it's what anybody would have done."

It's funny how things work out.

A few days ago, replacing the bulb in the dual halogen motion flood in the front, I'd dropped and lost a screw, which necessitated a trip to the local HW store.

While there I ran across a lady in need of some plumbing parts and going in the way wrong direction. I helped her select what she needed, explained why that was what she needed, and how to assemble it all correctly. Probably spent as much time, or more, helping her as I did on the rest of my trip, travel time and all.

Funny how my fumble-fingered-ness ended-up to somebody else's advantage And funny how, after that, my annoyance over having to make the trip had evaporated.

Very touching! Thanks for sharing.

Nice story. No better feeling than after helping someone that truly needs it.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
It's funny how things work out.

A few days ago, replacing the bulb in the dual halogen motion flood in the front, I'd dropped and lost a screw, which necessitated a trip to the local HW store.

While there I ran across a lady in need of some plumbing parts and going in the way wrong direction. I helped her select what she needed, explained why that was what she needed, and how to assemble it all correctly. Probably spent as much time, or more, helping her as I did on the rest of my trip, travel time and all.

Funny how my fumble-fingered-ness ended-up to somebody else's advantage And funny how, after that, my annoyance over having to make the trip had evaporated.

Ministers and volunteer workers always seem to know who is hub deep in desperation.
Grab a name or two and go shopping and/or put some cash in an envelope and deliver the goodS.
Don’t be surprised if some allergies kick up a little.