Jim is brave. He served in the United States Army when he was a young man and was often stationed overseas. Unfortunately, his time in the military was cut short after he was injured. As a determined, hard worker, he found fulfilling work in manual labor when he returned to the country. But it was not long before he was injured again.
"I was originally injured in the military, although I was able to fulfill my obligation and get an honorable discharge. But then, once I went back to my civilian job, I was hurt again and hurt much more extensively," he shared.
Jim's injury prevented him from finding work. Because of his disability, he became homeless several times. He often found himself struggling to make ends meet, but he mustered up the courage to ask for help to get back on his feet.
"When you're used to working, you feel like you're never going to need help with groceries – that you are never going to need to ask for anything. But when it gets to that point, and you have no choice, you do what you have to do," he said.
Now as a senior citizen, Jim is living in an apartment on a fixed income. He cannot afford a car, but he lives near a local food pantry, which makes picking up food much more manageable.
"When you're on foot, it's kind of hard to accumulate groceries. A car or any type of vehicle can help a lot. But once I became accustomed to coming here, it's been wonderful."
The food pantry provides him with nourishing groceries, and the friendly staff provides him with a meaningful, welcoming experience.
"To be able to come and see a facility like this and see the type of people that work in a facility like this and how genuine they are, that's eye-opening. That’s a treat. That's a blessing."