Ellen first sought help from her local food pantry when she lost her job as a housekeeper.
“I’m trying to get back a job, but it’s very hard,” she told us.
Without a full-time job, Ellen has no health insurance and can’t afford to see a doctor, though she’s experienced symptoms of high blood sugar. Fortunately, her local pantry is also one of eight participants in “Food, Health and Hope: An Answer to Diabetes,” the FoodBank’s diabetes initiative in partnership with the Summit Medical Group Foundation.
“When I came here, they tested me and let me know that my blood sugar was very high,” she said. “This program helped me a lot because I didn’t know that my blood sugar was that high.”
Ellen comes to the pantry every month for A1C tests and diabetes-friendly food and has seen significant improvement in her ability to manage her diabetes.
“It really helps,” she said.
Look around. Hunger is everywhere, right here where we live, and it doesn’t look like you think. It impacts our neighbors, colleagues, and friends, though they work hard to make ends meet. Your support makes a real difference in their lives. Click here to make a gift to help neighbors in need, like Ellen.