Living on a fixed income is challenging on its own, but when you add the dietary restrictions needed to protect your health, the stress can become overwhelming.
Carol knows this all too well. “I’m only allowed certain foods because I’m a diabetic, plus I’ve got a lot of other problems, and I can’t eat everything. No sugar, high blood pressure. I’ve got to watch what my intake is. Too much cholesterol. I’ve got to watch that.”
She relies on government assistance programs like SSI and SNAP to get by, but even with that support, every month is a struggle made even harder by the recent government shutdown. “It was a little rough because by the time I pay rent, which is $600 off a disability, that doesn’t leave very much. Then you got to pay electric. It don’t leave much,” Carol shared.
Fortunately, Carol’s daughter is able to bring her to the Food Bank’s onsite pantry, The Market, where she can pick up the staples she needs to stay healthy. “Fruit, vegetables. The eggs, the milk. I really just took what I needed, not just taking to be taking.”
Like Carol, so many of our neighbors depend on the generosity of donors to keep pantry shelves filled with the everyday items many of us take for granted. “I appreciate them. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t even have no food. That’s it,” Carol said.