Katie "Kat" Megna
Bookseller Katie "Kat" Megna said it took her months to make a call for help. "I hate asking for help in any capacity. I just was so embarrassed about it."
Kat's wife was the primary provider for their family of three when layoffs eliminated her job at a tech company and she struggled to find work.
"Her job allowed me to do what I love," said Kat, who has been at Books Inc. for 14 years. "I love being a children's bookseller but it doesn't pay the rent. We were going through our savings as quickly as we were saving it."
Family helped when they could, but the Bay Area is expensive and the bills piled up quickly. When their car broke down, Kat knew it was time.
"I talked to just one person from start to finish and didn't even have a chance to warn our building supervisor that a check for rent was on the way from Binc," Kat said. "It took my wife a year to get another job, but that month of help was enormous and got us on track."
Kat shared her story because "the more you talk about something the less stigma there is." When she was worried about a colleague who was too embarrassed to apply, she did it anonymously for him. "Binc is a lifesaver, literally a lifesaver."
Joe Murray
For 25 years Joe Murray and his wife, Danielle, have owned Captain Blue Hen Comics in Newark, Del., and had the backs of their customers. "We're a family-oriented store," Murray said. "We aim for a smile and we're here for our customers, offering emotional support, and a happy place to go."
When they were the ones in need of financial and emotional support, Joe remembered Binc.
"When my daughter was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis a few years ago it was hard enough navigating the impact it had on her and our family," he said. "The first medication she was given was inexpensive but made her nauseous. Finding something that worked meant an $8,000 monthly bill. Without Binc, we wouldn't have made it through the first year."
For him, "Binc support is like a weighted blanket. It provides financial assistance, but it also surrounds you." He recalled Binc's help in getting access to online financial tools, My Medical Journal to track a complex medical condition, the resources to negotiate down high medical bills and help pay the copays for a costly medication. "It's hard to fight the fight alone. It takes a village and Binc is a big part of that village. It's very comforting to know someone has your back."
Murray, who is the board president of ComicsPRO, uses every opportunity to spread the word about Binc and offer his support. "You can do everything right and things can still go wrong," he said. "There's no shame in asking for help."