John spent his entire working life as a corrections officer, but recently a chronic medical condition left him unable to work.

“It wasn’t an easy job, but I was good at it,” he says, sad to have had no choice but to end his career.

John, his wife, and their child have been living off his wife’s income as a hairdresser, but it isn’t enough. They’re using the savings John built up over his years as a corrections officer, but that won’t last forever.

Now, John is waiting for his application for disability benefits to be processed so he and his family can afford to pay bills and buy food each week.

“It’s been tough while waiting to see if I can get benefits,” he says. “I’ve never needed to apply for this stuff before.”

And obtaining these benefits isn’t easy. In fact, it’s quite difficult — the application itself can be confusing, the requirements are strict, and, if one is successful in getting disability benefits, there’s a lot of fine print that comes with maintaining them.

No matter what happens with John’s benefits, the family is grateful to receive much-needed help from the food pantry at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, a Second Harvest Partner Agency that hosts a bi-monthly, drive-thru food pantry.

“The food means a lot and I’m thankful to receive it,” John says.

To our friends who make this resource available for families experiencing hardship like John’s, thank you for all your help. You’re supporting people through difficult times every day.