“Some days I wish I had the faith of Michael Stein,” community members support local man in need

SEAFORD, Del. – Michael Stein is just your average guy who simply has a love for helping those who need it most. His close friends and co-workers say the countless organizations he’s involved with just shows how big of a heart he has. “So where there’s a need, or there’s a broken place, Michael is there,” says friend and ShiftDestiny volunteer, John Rittenhouse.

We’re told Stein has been deeply involved with the community for years, between helping those battling addiction, helping homeless shelters, and finding a need and filling it. “He’s always volunteered he does LOVE inc., teen challenge, pretty much everybody in the community has seen him somewhere just kind of showing up,” says Rachel Dukes, friend, and Director of Marketing at the Seaford Chick-Fil-A. Rittenhouse adds, “Whether it’s Code Purple, staying in shelters at night with people when no one else will show up, he just has a servant’s heart.”

We’re told, last year Stein began having severe pains in his legs, he eventually went to the doctor where they found multiple blood clots and doctors say it was brought on by COVID and undiagnosed diabetes. After a series of procedures, Stein says, he has some serious praying to do. “Because initially, they didn’t think I was gonna make it through the night.”

Now as Stein lays in a bed at the MedStar Washington hospital center, the devastating news keeps coming, we’re told he needs both of his legs amputated. However, he says his faith and hope are how he keeps his head high. “If they need help, I’ll help them if I can help them. They need my shirt, they can have my shirt if I can do it, I can,” says Stein.

However, now it’s the community’s turn to help where they can. In partnership with Chick-fil-a, they’re giving back with a fundraiser to pay for medical bills. “It’s really good for us to be there for him when he needs it he doesn’t have a lot of families and so we are his family, and I just think it’s really important for the community to become his family and love on him,” says Dukes. She adds, “He’s very involved in that church but he’s also super involved in the community so as soon as we heard that he had a need, we wanted to step in.”

Rittenhouse tells us, he met Stein years ago through their work in ShiftDestiny. He says after his son lost his battle to addiction, Stein was the first one there to console him. “So when I came to my door to go to my son’s apartment for the first time the next morning after he had passed, Michael was standing there arms hanging open, this great big tall lanky man tears streaming down his face,” says Rittenhouse. He says Stein’s heart is so big so seeing the community give back, is beyond inspiring. “If there’s a huge blessing out of all the things that are happening now is, Michael’s feeling the love, he’s feeling the appreciation, he’s feeling the prayers.” Rittenhouse adds, “Even though Mike is going through some awful hard physical things, his spirit, his man, his person, I believe is enjoying and feeling the love from the community back to him.”

Through it all Stein says although he’s thankful for the support, “Honest to God, I just want to serve. So I just want to be back in the game helping people,” says Stein. Rittenhouse also adds, “I wish I had his faith, some days I wish I had the faith of Michael stein.” “Delmarva has an opportunity to give to a man who has done nothing but give to others, at least for the 10 years that I’ve known him.”

Wednesday, February 16 at the Seaford Chick-fil-a from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. $1 per transaction will go directly to Michael Stein. They will also have a donation box inside as well.

For more information on the fundraiser and how you can help, click here.