Susan’s Full Story
It was 2017 and Susan and Wayne were contemplating retirement. A skilled mechanic, Wayne was being sought out for one more contract with the city but Susan thought he needed to take a break.
They’d met decades before at the small art gallery and farm shop Susan ran. Wayne became a regular and soon they couldn’t be parted. Wayne had accepted the offer but only a day later, life intervened. Wayne suffered a massive stroke, derailing his plans. Suddenly, life looked very different for Wayne and Susan.
Today, Wayne needs round the clock supervision and assistance and receives in-home hospice care. Susan is his primary caretaker, spending almost all of her time tending to Wayne. She has some support from the hospice agency, which she appreciates, but it’s limited and irregular. A hospice aid saw she was struggling though, and referred her to Food & Friends. Now one burden at least, getting food on the table, was off her shoulders.
As a Groceries-to-Go recipient, Susan and Wayne get bi-weekly grocery deliveries with pantry items, produce, frozen meats, milk, and even a few house-made frozen entrees for simple reheating.
“One of my greatest challenges is being able to go to the market. And that’s why Food & Friends has become such a resource,” says Susan. “Every other Friday, I have a clear idea of what’s coming and I know that I’m safe. And with what you bring, I could be safe for some time. I can’t get to the store. My loved one can’t leave the house. He’s sometimes bedridden, doesn’t walk. There were a lot of issues getting someone here to look after him so I could go to the store. It’s because of Food & Friends that I’m lucky. I treasure each item. I have that dependability.”
For caretakers of seriously ill individuals, finding time for simple things like going food shopping can seem impossible. When we spoke, she was thrilled to have found a friend who could stay with Wayne while she went and got a physical, the first time in three years.
“There’s an isolation to this caretaking when you’re just one person trying to do everything you can do to keep someone out of an institution type home,” added Susan. “I’m so grateful for the cheerful attitudes of the volunteers. Sometimes that’s the only cheerful thing that happens to me in a day. It’s just amazing. It reminds you that there are so many hands and hearts involved before it gets to your door.”
Isolation is one challenge Susan faced, another is financial.
This was not the retirement they had planned for and it had become a struggle to stay in their home. Susan sought out help from the county and other sources, but bureaucratic red tape makes getting help hard, especially when you’re already stressed and limited in resources.
Food & Friends has no income requirement and is based only on medical need. The simplicity was a relief to Susan.
“They’ve have helped me save my house. I am still in my house because of Food & Friends. I’m grateful that I didn’t have to prove all of this to be accepted by Food & Friends.”
It helps in small ways too. She recounted a recent time when she did make it to the store.
“I picked up a small bottle of balsamic vinegar I said, ‘Oh gosh, I just can’t buy this because I’m trying to hold on to my house.’ And I put it back on the shelf. And that very day there was a bottle of balsamic in the bag that came to my house from Food & Friends. It was a big deal!”
“There’s all those hands ensuring that we have humans that care about us. And they don’t have to know we who we, and we don’t care if they know who we are. We’re just so grateful and proud.”
Want to help Food & Friends support clients and their caregivers like Susan? Learn more on our volunteer page or click here to donate!
Photo credit: Love photo created by freepik – www.freepik.com