 “I’m ashamed to come here.” “I’m just embarrassed that I can’t do it on my own.” “I don’t want people to judge me.” Let’s take a moment to talk about shame. Unfortunately, it’s one of the biggest deterrents for our clients when considering seeking help from our Pantry. They don’t want to be criticized or labeled as “lazy, weak or greedy.” However, is it really shameful for a single mother to admit she needs help feeding her three children? Is it really embarrassing to be fighting cancer and, after spending your life savings on medical bills, need food assistance? No. It’s shameful to know help is out there but choose to suffer in silence and value your pride more than taking care of yourself and your family.
We are so proud of every single client that walks through our doors because they were brave enough to ask for help. They were humble enough to realize they couldn’t do it alone and graciously accepted assistance. Our Pantry will always be here for our clients, regardless of whether society, or even your own family, approves. We are so proud of you for doing what it takes to support yourself. Keep your head held high and never let any person make you feel embarrassed. To everyone in our Pantry family, we love you
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 “My son is in the seminary up in Boston,” beams our client, Raul, as he pulls a picture of his son from his wallet. Raul is originally from the Philippines but immigrated to the U.S. with his family decades ago. Once here, Raul worked extremely hard as a chef instructor to provide for his children. He also prides himself on offering guidance to his students. In fact, in preparing young women and men for their future careers, he’d often quote Albert Einstein by saying “adversity introduces a man to himself”. Unfortunately, heart problems have forced Raul into retirement and a sudden reduction in income brought him to our Pantry!
Thank you, Raul, for being such a genuine sweetheart. The pride you have in both your family and students is palpable. You've clearly experienced immense adversity and we've been introduced to the incredible man you've become. Thank you so much to you and your wife for your respect and endlessly kindness!  One of the best things about our Pantry is the bond that forms between our clients and volunteers. Each month, our volunteers spend half an hour listening and learning from our clients as they shop. They swap recipes, share family stories and become personally invested in each others lives. As one volunteer states, "we see hardworking people make the choice between buying medicine or food, purchasing diapers or food and paying rent or buying groceries."
Our Pantry is about so much more than just food, we pride ourselves on fostering an empathetic, dignified environment where volunteers, as well as clients, benefit from each other.
 Our 82-year-old client, Edith, isn’t ashamed to spread the word about our Pantry! “I’ve been telling everyone that I come here and you wouldn’t believe how many of my neighbors, people you’d never suspect, are in need!” After working all her life, Edith originally felt embarrassed to admit that she needed help. However, the more she talked about her struggles with food insecurity, the more she realized that others were struggling too. In fact, she’s encouraged 5 new people to shop at our Pantry in the last few months!
Thank you, Edith, for destroying the stereotypes about food insecurity and making others feel comfortable seeking help. Your bravery has ensured that your neighbors will always be well fed. We hope everyone is as vocal about our Pantry as you are because “people can’t get help unless they know it’s available.” Lets expand our Pantry family by keeping the conversation going!
“We’re not home yet from Sandy so this is really special” says our client, “Jennifer.” She and her elderly father, “Bill”, have not been able to return home since Superstorm Sandy devastated our coast in October of 2012. “Jennifer” and “Bill” are now entering their fourth holiday season away from longstanding family traditions and the comfort of home. Sadly their situation is not unique and countless local residents are STILL lost in a sea of paperwork, contractor fraud and red tape.
“Jennifer” and “Bill”, it’s an honor to be able to provide you with meals during the holiday season (and every season.) We hope that by next year you’ll be able to comfortably celebrate the holidays in your own home.  You’re looking at the face of a man who literally fed an entire army…multiple times! In fact, our client, Frank spent fourteen years serving as a cook in the Army National Guard. He’s ensured that thousands upon thousands of soldiers have had filling meals and proper nutrition. However, now his patrons are significantly smaller, slightly more hairy and of the animal variety! His wife, a retired Postmaster, rescues animals and they are currently caring for over a dozen cats! It’s obvious that Frank has dedicated his life to providing food and care for others. Unfortunately, after losing his home, car and belongings to Superstorm Sandy, he’s struggled to do the same for himself and his wife of 50 years. This ultimately brought him to our Pantry.
Thank you, Frank, for being such an open book and for sharing your story with us. You are such a hilarious, positive and good-natured man who never stops smiling. It was seriously a joy to talk with you today and we are so glad that you are part of our Pantry family  During fall, few things compare to the simple joy of biting into a crisp, fresh apple. Just ask our three-year-old client “J”, who literally could not wait to take a bite! Since J’s family struggles with food insecurity, he does not have steady access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, J is just one of the 15 million American children who do not have a consistent and reliable source of food. Improper nutrition has been linked to behavioral problems, stunted growth and weakened immune systems.
No child should be burdened with the pains of an empty stomach and yet 1 in 5 US children are currently facing food insecurity. These kids biggest concern should be about kickball and not about the source of their next meal. Today is National Childhood Hunger Awareness Day. It’s a perfect chance to spread awareness about this issue because it will never improve if we don’t talk about it. Please share this information and help us ensure that every J gets his apple!
Thank you, Anonymous, for being so incredibly strong in the face of such adversity. You’ve clearly raised your children to be thoughtful, compassionate and respectful. Your appreciation and gratitude for our assistance really makes everything we do worthwhile. We admire your commitment to your children and know you’re doing everything in your power to give them the best life possible. It’s an honor to have you at the Pantry
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The Peoples PantryThere are the real stories of our clients. These are the faces of your donations. Thank you! Archives
February 2017
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