“We did all the right things, but through no fault of our own, here we are at the food bank.” Lisa shook her head as she said it.
She and her husband spent their lives working hard and saving for retirement. Both had successful careers. Lisa traveled the country as a trainer for a mortgage company, while her husband had a great career with furniture manufacturing company, eventually becoming the plant manager overseeing 250 employees.
When her daughter had twins, Lisa made the decision to retire a few years early to be their caretaker.
“It was the right thing for me to do,” she said. “I wanted to take care of the babies, and my husband’s income could carry us.”
Then her 94-year-old father moved in.
And then, at 63 years old, she got another call. A relative’s newborn baby had been exposed to drugs during pregnancy and needed a home. “I didn’t ask if there was anything wrong with him,” Lisa said. “I just called my husband and told him to come home. They were bringing me the baby.”
Today, the baby is two years old and the adoption has finally been finalized. Lisa beamed as she talked about him.
Lisa’s days were busy, but she loved it. She was caring for her father and raising a toddler. Then, without warning, her husband’s company abruptly shut down. The steady income and health insurance the family had been relying on was gone.
Now, six months later, her husband is still looking for work. The man who spent more than 30 years at the same company and managed 250 employees can’t find work.
“He can’t even get an interview or a part-time job in retail,” she said. “No one wants to hire him. He’s too old. And we’re bleeding through our savings. Last week I went to the grocery store and spent $50 and there wasn’t even a piece of meat in it.”
But even as the bills pile up and their savings shrink, Lisa remains focused on the people she loves.
“I told my husband not to worry,” she said. “We’re going to get through this.”
“We just need a little bit of help to get us through this bump and what we get at the food bank helps our budget so much,” she said.
