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FEEDING HOPE: CINDY’S STORY
Cindy said this as she stood in line for the Mobile Market in Richland, Washington. “I feel this immense sense of gratitude.”
Cindy is no stranger to serving others. She previously worked in in-home nursing palliative care—as a self-titled “palliative peer.” Her job was very rewarding, but it took a toll on her health. “I forgot to take care of myself in the process,” she said. Cindy is now working on getting healthy again so she can return to her work in palliative care.
“You need to heal yourself to be able to give, and having adequate nutrition is a part of my healing journey right now.”
“When I receive food, I have a personal feeling of absolute grace.”
Stress also contributes to Cindy’s poor health, but the Mobile Market has helped alleviate some of it. “It gives me a reprieve from constantly figuring at how to get my basic needs met,” she said. Because of the money she saves on food at the Mobile Market, Cindy can afford gas to get to her doctors’ appointments.
“You never know how your gift of sustenance can impact the world around you,” said Cindy. “Every person makes a difference. Every person matters. Taking care of other people – you never know how that will impact the world around you. Every action you take can make a difference in someone’s life.”
Cindy is certainly grateful for the way people are making a difference in hers by providing her with food at no cost. “I get goosebumps coming here because it’s this sense of community—people coming together and meeting each other’s needs.”
What My Internship Taught Me – November 3
Food insecurity. It is a term we so often hear, but many of us never really understand because we are lucky.
We have never skipped a meal because we can’t afford one or questioned when we will eat again. But it’s a reality for thousands of our neighbors.
They have to make impossible choices about whether to buy medication, pay rent, keep the power on, and put gas in the car — or buy food for the week.
And while I knew that people around me were making these choices every day, I never understood it until working with Second Harvest.
Fall 2023 Newsletter – October 27
Check out the latest news from Second Harvest. Serving people facing hunger across the Inland Northwest.
Focus on College Hunger – October 20
While college campuses aren’t the first thing to cross our minds when we think of food insecurity, the reality is most colleges and universities have students that wrestle with getting enough healthy food. Making ends meet is becoming more difficult for today’s college students. To help fill the void, we have partnerships with several colleges and universities in our region, where students can get food from on-campus pantries and Mobile Markets.
Feeding Eastern Washington and North Idaho
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