Alma's Story

67-year-old Alma really likes to give and receive hugs. In fact, it might be her favorite thing to do. And that’s because she’s always looking on the bright side of life.

“I have a positive attitude always,” she said. “Life is too short. You’ve got to live life to the fullest.”

That attitude gives Alma strength, even in the face of a challenging time in her life. She’s taking care of her daughter, who faces a disability. And, she manages to work four days a week to help make ends meet.

“I’ve been a workaholic all my life,” she admits proudly. “Always trying to get more hours, do more.”

When Thanksgiving arrived this year, Alma didn’t hesitate to reach out for a little extra help. She visited the Northeast Iowa Food Bank’s holiday food distribution in Waterloo to get ham and other traditional holiday food

“This is a blessing,” she said. “We’d make it; we’d scrape by without this. I’d be sure of it. But this does help.”