WATSONTOWN -- Michelle Slavinsky lost her job recently after a series of employee cutbacks at a local hospital.

The 39-year-old registered nurse, mother of five and grandmother of one, has found it difficult to raise her family with her unemployment compensation and the disability payments received by her fiance, Kevin Houser, a retired police officer and detective who also served in the Marine Corps.

Experiences including serving as lead detective of a homicide investigation involving a 10-year-old girl, and serving in Beirut when it was bombed in the 1980s, have left him with a form of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Slavinsky has been interviewing for a position, but is finding it difficult to find anyone who is hiring. There have been many recent cutbacks on nursing positions, she said.

In addition to mortgage payments, and staying on top of utility bills, including gas to heat their home, Slavinsky said food for the seven people living in the home is a never-ending challenge.

“I could spend $200 a week on groceries, if not more, just to keep food in the house,” she said.

Slavinsky has lived with Houser for about four years. He has lived in the Watsontown home for 25 years.

They have an 18-month-old daughter, Mia.

Also living in the home are Slavinsky’s other children, 18-year-old Samantha, along with her 1-year-old son, Draylen; 15-year-old Jacob; and 11-year-old Callie, who Slavinsky just received custody of on Wednesday.

Her 20-year-old son Paul also stops by for food at times, she said with a laugh.

This is the first year Slavinsky has filled out an application to receive help from The Salvation Army.

“I asked for a little help, and they were grateful enough to help us,” she said.

The organization will help her family by providing them with a basket of food and gifts for the children.

“My kids aren’t really picky,” Slavinsky said. “For the most part, I think they’re pretty grateful for anything they get.”

Callie has been asking for an MP3 player, and Jacob a paintball gun. Overall, however, she said her children know what it means to make sacrifices. They had to make many after Slavinsky began nursing school in 2001, then worked to receive her licensed practical nurse and registered nursing certifications.