Stories of Hunger

Louis

Louis was one of the millions of people who were affected by Hurricane Harvey. He lost his home and was forced to move to a new neighborhood and start over. He heard about the local food pantry when he was given a list of resources for rebuilding, and he was thrilled at the assistance they provided.

“My apartment flooded and was completely under water. I lost everything,” Louis says. “But the food pantry helped me with food and furniture and some clothing, as well as hygiene items. I felt like they helped me, so I should come help them.”

Louis lives alone and is on disability, so he made the decision to donate his time to his local food pantry. He faithfully shows up every day to stock shelves, hand out food and help wherever needed.

What brings him back each day are “the clients and the energy that they give off. The smiles on their faces. They don’t realize how much we have to help the community until they actually come here.”

Louis continues to be a food pantry client himself. He says, “I shop once a month for household items I may need because it helps me financially. My disability check doesn’t go far. After Harvey, I’m living check-to-check with zero left over, as opposed to before when I had my little nest egg. This really helps.”