This week, Joe welcomes guest blogger Arlene Martell to the site. What a great story!

It doesn’t take much for your life to turn upside down, especially when you’re an actor in Hollywood. Sometimes the rollercoaster is a good thing – you get a television or movie role and that leads to another job and suddenly things are going great. But then a health issue can keep you from working and your income goes away and suddenly things aren’t great at all.

That happened to me and I found myself in a financial corner, thinking I had nowhere to turn. Then, a friend suggested the Actor’s Fund and they were able to offer some financial help. Equally important, they suggested I contact the Motion Picture & Television Fund to find out what kind of medical and social services might be available. The very first time I met Janie Grauman at the Fund, I knew things were going to be all right. She immediately made it clear that they would help me find a way to keep my apartment. They know that staying in my own home and continuing to live independently is not only what I want but actually better for my health and well-being. Hallelujah!

The MPTF helped with rent and prescriptions, and even care for my three rescue dogs. What I really appreciated though, were the home visits. While my knee and ankle were healing (I fractured my patella. If you don’t know what that is, look it up. Ouch!) Evan, then later Martha, visited every week to see how I was doing. They had creative suggestions for me and really listened when I had concerns. They helped remind me of the strength Ihave always had and gave me the confidence to see that things really would get better. I went from feeling alone to feeling part of an extended family that would not let me fail.

If you’re part of the entertainment industry and could use a helping hand, (more…)