New Jersey
Shirley is an upbeat 73-year-old widow who volunteers two days a week at the Community Food Bank of New Jersey. She now lives alone after her husband of 53 years passed away in 2005. The pension he accrued as an army veteran and boat builder was cut in half to $1200 a month when he died.
This mother of four first turned to the food bank because the cost of gas, food, and auto insurance crept up. Her battle with high cholesterol has led to four stents in her heart, so balancing medical bills has also become part of her monthly money battle.
Nonetheless, Shirley definitely tries to remain money savvy. She turns down the heat to 60 degrees each night to try lower her bills. She tries to get extremely creative with her cooking at times, making most of her food from scratch because it is the cheapest way to eat. It was that trepidation that forced her to make her way to her township office, which eventually led her to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey. Her first promising visit in September of 2008 to the Community Food Bank also helped her decide that she would like to volunteer there.
In her time at the food bank as a volunteer and recipient, Shirley has been amazed by how many people she either recognized or knew who were also seeking food assistance. She’s noticed that the demand for food assistance has grown in the short time she’s been coming to the food bank. As she sees the great need in her community for emergency food assistance, Shirley notes that she really doesn’t know what she would do without the Community Food Bank of New Jersey’s services.
Find out more about the Community Food Bank of New Jersey.