I've been reading everyone's comments and appreciate everyone's support. I've been talking with many different people and places. This is the best I can do so far to piece it all together. The end result is still the same though. I'm still out a considerable amount that I could have used/been using during my current disability period to supplement my very fixed income.
1. At the beginning of 2013, due to the significance of my illness/in-patient cancer treatments, I granted my roommate/friend power of attorney so that banking would continue during my incapacity because at that time it wasn't so certain that I would survive.
2. When my treatments tailed off at the end of 2013, and I started to feel stronger, I revoked the POA prior to my going away for the holiday season.
3. I have now learned that the bank did not enforce the revocation despite it being the only one I had and granting this to only one person. I was told that this was due to "my failure" to “name” the POA agent.
4. During the gap of time when I thought I had revoked the POA by filing it with the bank and when I was made to send a “corrected” form, the charity checks had been sent to my address.
5. At that time, I was out-of-town and had no knowledge that these checks had arrived.
6. I have also since learned that my roommate has a gambling addiction. After much cajoling, he admitted same to me.
7. He cashed the checks using the POA at the bank, even though they knew of the revocation, which was apparently not put "in force" until the "corrected" form was on file.
8. I have found that the charities cannot resend any funds since they were cashed “in my behalf" during this last charity cycle.
9. The police cannot do anything for the same reason.
10. The bank seems to be at fault, but I cannot figure out how to get them on the hook, if I can.
11. My roommate/friend has since yesterday apologized profusely, but he has no money and is unemployed, so even though he says he will repay me, I will not hold my breath.
12. I am very reluctant to press charges against my friend even though he does “deserve” to be punished in a real world way and not just by harboring great amounts of guilt. I feel sympathetic to his problem and am torn between anger and empathy.
13. Therefore I am feeling stuck between the bank’s inactivity due to a detail that was not as important as the overall meaning of the revocation document, the charities’ inability to send more funds to make up for what I lost (for which I am not surprised), and my friend's awful, horrid betrayal/addiction.
I am at a loss in many, many ways and am also mad at myself for having gone out-of-town during the holidays for the purpose of recuperation.
