Edwin was devastated when he found out he wouldn’t be able to continue working. As a Marine Corps veteran and a concrete finisher for 30 years, he enjoyed working.
“Work makes me feel good — like I’ve accomplished something and helped someone at the end of the day,” he says.
But when he woke up one day and couldn’t move his shoulders without being in extreme pain, his doctors said they could help him with pain management, but he wouldn’t work again.
He and his wife live with their daughter, her three young sons, and mother-in-law. Everyone pools their incomes together, but it’s just barely enough to make rent and pay the bills.
“After the bills are paid, there’s hardly enough left over to buy food,” Edwin explains.
That’s why Edwin and his family are so grateful for Food Lifeline and friends like you.
“It helps so much,” he says. “It’s just amazing. Without it, I’m not sure we’d have enough to feed us all. We’d have to skip meals so that our grandsons could eat. We definitely wouldn’t have the quality of food we have now. That’s for sure.”
Despite his disabilities and needs, Edwin believes anyone can give back, which is why he’s an avid volunteer at the pantry. His wife also helps to manage a community garden, and they donate any extra food they harvest to the pantry.
Like Edwin, you know how important it is to give back and help those in need. Thank you for helping to feed families like Edwin’s throughout Western Washington.
