Stories of Hunger

Cynthia

Cynthia thought she was done caring for children and was eagerly looking forward to her golden years. But when her grown daughter became pregnant and wasn’t able to care for a baby due to substance abuse issues, Cynthia immediately agreed to take in the tiny infant and raise her granddaughter.

For years, Cynthia continued to work on the spinal cord floor of a local rehabilitation hospital. But she was forced to stop working and apply for disability three years ago, after an injury. Today, Cynthia struggles to care for her 13-year-old granddaughter on her limited income.

“I work part-time and raise my granddaughter,” Cynthia says. “Rent is expensive, so whatever I can do to supplement really makes a difference.”

“The Food Bank really helps people who are struggling to make rent or pay car insurance or other bills. There are a lot of us who are raising grandchildren, and nutrition is really important. But if you’re on a fixed income, you sacrifice that sometimes for medication or housing. Those things come first, and a lot of times food gets kind of put on the backburner. You get what you can afford.”

“At the food pantry, they’re very conscious of balancing food to make sure there’s protein and dairy and vegetables. I think the program is awesome, I really do.”