Miss-Delectable
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http://www.theviewnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=9307&paper=1&cat=193
When Valley Mede resident Kim Miller learned that a family in her neighborhood, the Soraces, was struggling after Daniel Sorace fell off his roof and was unable to return to work, she felt compelled to help.
“I decided I couldn’t sit back and watch the family suffer,” said Miller, whose daughter attends St. John’s Lane Elementary School and Brownies with 8-year-old Sabrina Sorace.
She heard that Daniel Sorace fell off his roof while trying to replace it in May, crushing his ankles and nose, and leaving him unable to walk without crutches. He cannot return to his job, at the Owings Mills-based Solo Cup Company, for at least 10 months.
The Soraces’ situation is exacerbated because Michelle Sorace is a stay-at-home mom, and because she and Daniel, along with their 18-month-old son, are deaf and do not speak, Miller said. Sabrina is not deaf.
After asking the family’s permission, Miller organized a Longaberger basket bingo, which will be held Aug. 24 at The Lodge in Catonsville. She has distributed fliers in her neighborhood and already raised more than $600 from residents sending in checks, but hopes to raise several thousand dollars to help the family’s plight.
Miller is not sure about the status or nature of the Soraces’ medical benefits, but “I just couldn’t sit back and watch the medical bills pile up.”
The Soraces’ church helped do some immediate repairs to the roof, but it remains in need of replacement, she said, as it is leaking now as well.
She is now also looking for a sign-language translator willing to volunteer at the event and is reaching out to the deaf community at large to be a part of it. Miller noted that she sees it as an opportunity to raise awareness about the dangers of working on roofs, and to create relationships between deaf and hearing communities.
“I feel really good about that, and I hope we can get several members (of the deaf community) to come,” she said, adding that she hurried a bit in setting up the event so the Soraces could get help as soon as possible. “If I had more time, I would definitely reach out more to those communities.”
Miller said the Soraces have responded positively to the event, and Michelle and Sabrina Sorace plan to attend it.
Although Daniel Sorace, who remains at home, did not seem thrilled, Miller said, “He knows that they need the help and he’s trying not to let his pride get in the way.”
Miller has coordinated similar fundraisers in the past, including a bingo she co-chaired at her daughter’s preschool that raised more than $6,000 and a silent auction at St. John’s Lane Elementary School.
“I just like to do this kind of thing,” she explained. “I feel good giving back, and it’s a very fun time.”
When Valley Mede resident Kim Miller learned that a family in her neighborhood, the Soraces, was struggling after Daniel Sorace fell off his roof and was unable to return to work, she felt compelled to help.
“I decided I couldn’t sit back and watch the family suffer,” said Miller, whose daughter attends St. John’s Lane Elementary School and Brownies with 8-year-old Sabrina Sorace.
She heard that Daniel Sorace fell off his roof while trying to replace it in May, crushing his ankles and nose, and leaving him unable to walk without crutches. He cannot return to his job, at the Owings Mills-based Solo Cup Company, for at least 10 months.
The Soraces’ situation is exacerbated because Michelle Sorace is a stay-at-home mom, and because she and Daniel, along with their 18-month-old son, are deaf and do not speak, Miller said. Sabrina is not deaf.
After asking the family’s permission, Miller organized a Longaberger basket bingo, which will be held Aug. 24 at The Lodge in Catonsville. She has distributed fliers in her neighborhood and already raised more than $600 from residents sending in checks, but hopes to raise several thousand dollars to help the family’s plight.
Miller is not sure about the status or nature of the Soraces’ medical benefits, but “I just couldn’t sit back and watch the medical bills pile up.”
The Soraces’ church helped do some immediate repairs to the roof, but it remains in need of replacement, she said, as it is leaking now as well.
She is now also looking for a sign-language translator willing to volunteer at the event and is reaching out to the deaf community at large to be a part of it. Miller noted that she sees it as an opportunity to raise awareness about the dangers of working on roofs, and to create relationships between deaf and hearing communities.
“I feel really good about that, and I hope we can get several members (of the deaf community) to come,” she said, adding that she hurried a bit in setting up the event so the Soraces could get help as soon as possible. “If I had more time, I would definitely reach out more to those communities.”
Miller said the Soraces have responded positively to the event, and Michelle and Sabrina Sorace plan to attend it.
Although Daniel Sorace, who remains at home, did not seem thrilled, Miller said, “He knows that they need the help and he’s trying not to let his pride get in the way.”
Miller has coordinated similar fundraisers in the past, including a bingo she co-chaired at her daughter’s preschool that raised more than $6,000 and a silent auction at St. John’s Lane Elementary School.
“I just like to do this kind of thing,” she explained. “I feel good giving back, and it’s a very fun time.”