"Meet Our Friend Tim — A Story of Hope, Healing, and the Power of Community

We’d like to introduce you to our friend Tim. With his permission, we are honored to share a piece of his journey with you—because you are part of the reason stories like this are possible.

We first met Tim on a cold January evening in 2025 at the Catholic Charities Warming Center in Columbus Circle. Like many of our friends experiencing homelessness, Tim didn’t feel safe in traditional shelters, so he spent his nights sitting upright in a chair, just trying to get through each day.

Over time, our care managers began building trust with Tim. Conversations turned into friendship, and friendship turned into action. Together, we started his housing paperwork, a big first step toward stability. Along the way, we learned that Tim had some serious medical needs—and this is where the beautiful network of our community partners came in.

Thanks to our friends at Housecalls for the Homeless - Upstate, Tim was introduced to Dr. Lehmann and his team of compassionate medical students. They discovered Tim had lost his right eye in a work accident 15 years ago and now had a severe cataract in his remaining eye, leaving him legally blind. On top of that, his blood pressure was dangerously high—230/120—with no medications for over a year.

Over the next several months, Dr. Lehmann and his team worked to bring Tim’s blood pressure down to a healthy range, thanks to proper medications generously provided by the Upstate Outpatient Downtown Pharmacy. Because of this wonderful care and blood pressure being lowered Tim then underwent cataract surgery in early Agust that restored his vision—an incredible, life-changing moment!

Because Tim was unhoused and needed 24/7 post-surgery care for his eye, the Housecalls for the Homeless – Upstate Foundation provided hotel accommodations so he could heal safely.

This is what happens when caring hearts come together—when each person, church, business, and organization brings their unique gift to the table. You made this possible. Every prayer, every donation, every act of kindness is part of a bigger picture of hope.

Tim’s story reminds us: change happens when we stand together. And there are many more “Tims” out there waiting for their chapter of hope to be written.

From the bottom of our hearts—thank you for partnering with us. You’re not just changing lives… you’re saving them."

https://form-renderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/imfk

​

IMFK Facebook Aug. 13

Pictures courtesy of IMFK

​