The Reality of Hunger
Debbie tears up when she talks about her trips to the Nourish Pierce County food bank. “It’s just temporary … just temporary,” she says.
She and her husband recently suffered through a series of difficulties and suddenly found themselves not able to make ends meet. “Since I lost my job, we’re on one income for five people,” Debbie says. She was working in a warehouse and making a decent wage, but physical limitations and trying to “keep up with the kids” left her out in the cold.
Adding to the woes, both her car and her husband’s died on their way to work just a few weeks apart. After 12 years without car payments, they now have two.
“If it wasn’t for the food bank, we would have to decide between food and paying our expenses,” Debbie says. “This is a godsend. What we get here lets us know we are going to have enough food to last you a week or so.”
Debbie says she likes coming to the food bank, not only for the food but for the company – both food bank volunteers and the fellow clients. “It’s a nice community,” she says, “We always talk and when somebody’s not here we worry about them or try to find out what’s happening and if we can help.”
“And the people in the food bank make you feel welcome. Not like you’re some kind of loser,” she says.
Debbie walks the walk about her food bank friendships. Shortly after she walked away from this interview she took off her scarf so her friend’s dog could be sheltered against the nasty cold.
-Chris Fruitrich, retired journalist and food bank volunteer
Thank you for giving generously to help the hungry in Pierce County.