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With no way to afford new car repairs until she received her tax return, Linda (second from the left) and her grandsons were forced to walk everywhere during the dead of winter.

Back On the Road

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Anyone who knows Linda would describe her as a true, salt-of-the-Earth woman. She works hard, she rarely complains, and as an employee of a local daycare center, she goes above and beyond every day to care for the children of Langdon, North Dakota.

They boarded a bus for Langdon carrying only what they could fit in the bags on their backs.

Linda has dedicated her life to caring for children in her community; when her family fell upon hard times, it was her community’s turn to care for Linda.

Linda’s daughter tragically and suddenly passed away, leaving behind two young boys. The boys, who were living with their mother in Oregon at the time of her passing, had nowhere to go—so Linda took it upon herself to become their caregiver and guardian. They boarded a bus for Langdon carrying only what they could fit in the bags on their backs.

Despite now also being responsible for her two grandsons, Linda continued to work in the mobile infant room at the daycare. She did everything in her power to provide a safe, healthy, and happy life for these two boys who had already experienced so much pain.

Two women hugging.
Thankful that her car was back up and running, Linda and her grandsons were able to get to where they needed to go both warmly and safely.

Then, last December, Linda’s car broke down. She and the boys were forced to walk to school, work, and the store in frigid sub-zero temperatures. Linda wouldn’t be able to afford the necessary repairs until she received her tax return, leaving her without a vehicle for at least two months.

Morgan Zeis, Senior Business Loan Servicing Specialist at Choice Bank in Langdon, knows Linda well. Her children have both attended the daycare where Linda works, and Morgan could see the difficult situation that Linda and her grandsons were facing.

“Last night, she told me that her grandson wasn’t going to be able to go to his school Christmas concert because it was too cold for them to walk.”

So, she decided to help in the best way she knew how.

“Last night, she told me that her grandson wasn’t going to be able to go to his school Christmas concert because it was too cold for them to walk,” Morgan wrote in her submission to the Wishing Well. “My heart truly breaks for their family, and I would love for Choice to be able to help them out and get her car in working order.”

No person should have to walk to work in the dead of a North Dakota winter—especially not someone who has devoted so much of her life to caring for others. Morgan worked with local businesses to determine what repairs would be needed to get Linda’s car back up and running, and how much it would actually cost.

And just in time for the holidays, Choice Bank granted Morgan’s wish for $1,500 to go towards Linda’s car repairs. Now, almost one year later, Linda and her boys are back on the road and on the way to a better life together.


The Choice Bank Wishing Well is accepting wishes! Ready to cast yours? Visit choicewishingwell.com and let us know who you would like to help out in your community.

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