Seniors Share their Stories
10/18/2011 1:00:00 PM
by
Erin Davis, Grant Writer
It isn’t often I get a chance to get out of the office, into the community, and meet with the people that Second Harvest helps. Last week, though, I had an opportunity to interview a handful of older individuals at senior apartment complex in Stanton, and I had a blast. The apartment community hosts a weekly food distribution for residents, and my contact, Ted, not only coordinates the distribution, but also benefits from it. Ted, very thoughtfully, gathered a handful of what he called “his backbone” people—the ones that help out the most with the food pass-out.
We sat around a table in the recreation room on the second floor, Ted served coffee, and we chatted about their lives for an hour or so. They talked about their circumstances, and what led them to needing help with food. All of the individuals were low-income; most were on social security, and a few were on disability. A couple of them described living in motels before they moved into their apartments. They all have a hard time making ends meet, and depend on the food from Second Harvest to help out.
Other residents walked in and out of the recreation room during our conversation, and they were all invited to sit at the table with us. I could tell the shared experiences among the group had bonded them, and they genuinely cared for each other. They looked out for each other’s well-being. They are the very “people in need” I write about in grants, the ones that don’t have enough of anything, yet the sense of community they have cultivated at the apartment complex is something that many of us don’t have. A heartfelt thanks to Ted, Donna, Cindy, Kathleen, and Lynn, for being so open and willing to share their stories with me. I walked away from our meeting inspired, motivated, and grateful for everything I can call mine.
I think I need to get out of the office more often.
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