“I didn’t know how to save myself, but they did.” That’s how Editors Guild member Glenn Darby feels about the upheaval he’s experienced since Heidi, his wife of thirty years, passed away suddenly a year ago. Living in L.A. since 1988, he first joined what is now SAG-AFTRA but moved into editing in 1997, the same year his daughter was born. After his world was turned upside down, he learned from Local 700 that MPTF would be there with help when he needed it. Naomi Rodda, MSW, LCSW, MPTF’s Director of Home & Community Based Services, advised him to go on disability right away and directed him to other grants and workshops available through other entertainment community-based organizations.
Since then Jenny Lam, MSW from our Social Services team, has been doing regular check-ins with Glenn and helping him keep up with necessities like bills and rent. “Working in this industry is a struggle,” he says, “whether you lose someone or jobs come and go. I’m ashamed to ask for help because I don’t feel like I deserve it. I lost several family members during Covid, and then the shock just hit me suddenly. You don’t know all they can do until you need help, and that’s how we survive. It’s how we continue to go on and be a part of the arts community.” Recently Glenn has reignited his love of acting and rejoined SAG-AFTRA while enjoying his other passions like music. As he puts it, “This industry is certainty and uncertainty at the same time. The next job might not come right away. In this day and age, it’s easier to do more when you can’t rely on a steady job or income. I can’t retire; there’s so much more life to live. I know I love what I’m doing.”
Find out more about MPTF’s Social Services programs by clicking here >
