Chris Kuebler

Empty Bowls Helps People Like Jackie Thrive

“If it wasn’t for TrueNorth I don’t know what I’d do. You guys have been lifesavers on more than one occasion,” says TrueNorth Hunger Prevention participant Jackie. Having a multigenerational, 11-person household with the continued rising cost of living has made making ends meet challenging for Jackie and her family. But, through the resources from TrueNorth Community Services, Jackie’s family has received the food and support they need to move forward.

Jackie has been participating in TrueNorth’s Hunger Prevention programs for over 10 years. From coming to the Food Center to picking up free summer meals for her grandchildren and great grandchildren that live with her, Jackie always makes sure her family is taken care of.

Jackie’s love for her family extends to others who are in a similar financial situation as her. She helps pick up food for eight other families who are not available during certain programming times and face transportation barriers, ensuring their families have food to put on their table. “You guys always help me when I need it. So, I try returning the favor to other people,” says Jackie. “I can’t see people struggle
because I struggle, and I know what that’s like.”

Living on her fixed income while taking care of her family has been challenging for Jackie. However, she knows how to use her resources to make the most out of what she has. Receiving meat and fresh vegetables from TrueNorth’s Food Center has helped Jackie’s family tremendously since purchasing those items for 11 people is unaffordable.

Besides coming to the Food Center and picking up summer meals for her family, Jackie also participates in TrueNorth’s Senior Thanksgiving Luncheon and receives a Senior Harvest Basket. Being able to come and socialize with community members at the Senior Thanksgiving Luncheon has helped Jackie feel a part of TrueNorth and her community.

“Words can’t say how much I appreciate you guys,” says Jackie when reflecting on her overall experience with TrueNorth. “TrueNorth helps a lot more people than they know. I hear everybody talk about ‘well TrueNorth helped me here’ or ‘TrueNorth helped me there.’” You can help people just like Jackie by making a gift to TrueNorth’s Hunger Prevention programs. Your support means our neighbors will have peace of mind knowing they have reliable access to the nutrients they need to thrive.

We need your help to reach our $25,000 goal. Without compassionate people like you, many in our community would go hungry. You can also make an impact by attending TrueNorth’s signature Hunger Prevention fundraiser, Empty Bowls. This event brings caring community members like yourself together to help our neighbors who struggle with food insecurity. Join us for a simple lunch of delicious soup and bread and take home a hand-painted bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in our community. Empty Bowls will take place on Thursday, October 3 at the TrueNorth Service Center in Fremont and on Friday, October 4 at the VFW Post 4249 in Newaygo. Soup will be served between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm at both locations.

Donate today and register for Empty Bowls to make a difference right here.