My husband and I moved last summer because we lost our home. We were finally starting to get on our feet again when the tsunami in Japan hit. I never realized that it would reach our doorstep.

Apparently, all of the critical parts to build a Honda car come from there. My husband works for Honda—on commission. His pay now barely covers rent; never mind, food, gas, and utilities.

No new cars until maybe October— don’t know how we will make it. I am not working now because I am caring for my terminally ill mother-in-law.

My husband is the only one to be working now and I face the fact of do I pay my mortgage or do I eat? With the help of Loaves & Fishes you have helped my family out. The decision is much easier knowing there is help when needed.

Thank you for all your help.

The challenges I am facing are being able to provide for my family. I was a single parent from the age of 29, my husband and I divorced which left me to provide for my family alone. I was employed making a good living for well over 10 years. In September of 2009, my job downsized which caused me to become financially challenged. My hope for the future is to once again to be able to provide for my family.

I lost my job in ‘09 while working for the City. That same week my husband lost his pension along with a 10% paycut to keep his job. A year later my husband took another 5% cut and my unemployment was coming to an end. With medical bills and no unemployment I came to Loaves & Fishes.

I was embarrassed the first couple of times. I have never needed to ask for food. I am still looking for a job and hope things pick up soon.

I worked in the financial services industry for many years and was laid off. I have 3, soon to be 4 children. No one will hire a pregnant woman. I am 3 semesters away from obtaining my bachelor’s degree. Loaves & Fishes is truly a blessing.

God Bless!

I am a 62 year old single woman, entirely self-sufficient for my entire life until my company was sold in ‘07. Since that time, I have been going on endless interviews, losing my self-confidence and self-esteem in the process. (Many times to be hired for a very short time only to be told that I was, once again, being laid off due to the economy.) My savings have been depleted over the last few years. Loaves & Fishes has been a god-send for me.

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to express my eternal gratitude for your help during this awful period in my life.

My husband is an electrician. He was out of work for 2 years which depleted our savings. He ended up taking a job for a fraction of his former pay, and after a few months at this job he had to go in for triple by-pass. No insurance, and now no income for 3 more months have pretty much done us in. I have some serious issues which I need to get taken care of, and then I need to get work. Until then, we are getting very creative at ways to pay bills, what to cut and meals. Loaves & Fishes has filled a spot that would otherwise have just remained empty—we appreciate it more than we can express.

This help is very good because it helps to lessen the effects of this economy. I’ve come to the pantry, so that I can help support my husband’s parents because they’re older. And it’s nice to help others. And that’s what we do in my house.

Thank you!

(Translated from Spanish)

As a so-called highly educated and articulate man, from a so-called good family; I now find myself unable to find the words to explain or otherwise make any sense out of the complete reversal of fortune I am now in. Being a married man and a father of 2 children, I now know the very real human emotion of fear better than I have known it before.

Please forgive me as I must break off at this point in order to avoid an emotional outburst of tears and humiliation.

Thank you all very much for your help.

I get $50 a month for food stamps on LINK. That is gone usually during one trip to the store. My grandchildren and daughter have been staying with me and there is just not enough to feed all of us— two teens with incredible appetites. We thank you and all of the donors who give to the pantry. May the Lord Bless all of you. Thanks also to the volunteers.

Three years ago, I came looking for help. I’ve haven’t been able to find work. I’m a single mother and you’ve supported me by providing me— and the people I live with— with so much. I hope that I’ll find work soon, so that help can go to other people in need. Thank you for your help.

(Translated from Spanish)

This place helped me when my family was homeless. I worked part-time at Jewel, but it didn’t help. I am scared what is going on in the world. You are good people. You are like family to my family.

I worked as a flight attendant and was injured at work. Lost my condo. Lost my mother to lung cancer. Could not pay my bills. But still alive! That was four years ago. Still in same situation. A friend of mine told me about your food pantry here, about 8 months ago. How wonderful this pantry is! I just adore the volunteers here. They make you feel so welcome. They treat you with the utmost respect here. I’m quite grateful for the services given here. This pantry is why I am still alive and making it today.

Thank you.

God Bless all the people that are involved in such a wonderful organization. Without your help my brother and many others would go to bed hungry at night.

I thank you, and my brother thanks you.You are all angels. Keep up the wonderful work.

My daughter and I live in our condo. We are on a housing program through DuPage Housing Authority so I can finish my schooling. I have applied for food stamps and was told they were running behind 3 months! This is the best food pantry I have ever been to. The selection of food is wonderful and it is so very well organized. It makes coming here so nice and pleasant. Everyone here has always made me feel like a person and has shown kindness and respect. I think that is so important when we all come here to get help. We don’t want to feel embarrassed or less than someone else. It is a pleasure to come here and God bless all of the workers here that help and assist us. When I finish my schooling and start working again, I will look forward to come here and volunteer my time.

My name is Suzanne. My husband recently got a pay cut so making ends meet for our four children (8,7,6 and 3 months) has become more and more difficult, with food going up and money going down. Some months we have to choose what to pay and what not to. Coming here has helped us be able to take some of the money we would spend on food and use it to try and keep a roof over our heads while providing our children with healthy food. We really appreciate all that Loaves & Fishes has done to aid us in providing nutrition for our family.

At one point of my life, I had it together. Never would I have thought I would be waiting line at a food pantry. Once I lost my job at a mortgage company, I found myself seeking assistance to meet the daily needs for my child and me.

I have now volunteered and am giving back to the community.

Thank you for sharing and caring.

My name is Deanna. My husband and I were trying to get pregnant for over 2 years. We were both working and stable. When I finally got pregnant (and were looking for a house), I was told the company I was working for was downsizing and I would be losing my job a month before I was due. At the same time my husband’s work was ending (in construction). We were both on unemployment and barely able to make ends meet. I was unable to find a job due to the baby and am still having a hard time. My husband is working on and off. When he does not work it makes it harder to put food on the table with 2 kids. This has made it that much easier.

Thank you

I came to Loaves and Fishes because I have three daughters and my husband’s the only one who works. I spent quite a lot of time trying to find work and tried many places, but wasn’t able to find anything because I didn’t speak English. And then here I was given the opportunity to learn the language. Thanks to that and to all the people who’ve helped us, our lives have changed. It’s very different here in the U.S. When I was a little girl in Mexico, there were 12 of us living in the house — with my mother and father, there were 14 — and there were times when we didn’t have anything to eat. But I don’t like to remember sad things. It’s different now. And I can say that thanks to people like you, my daughters will live a better life than mine.

(Translated from Spanish)