Harvest of Success

Client Stories from Northwest Harvest


Samuel’s Journey

“I was in dire straits.” Samuel Idem had lost his marriage and his job, yet still had to feed himself and his young son. Coming to America from Nigeria as a student, he lacked the support of family ties and heritage. In his time of need, he turned to Northwest Harvest’s Cherry Street Food Bank. “I was touched to see so many others in similar need, and the volunteers who were so kind to me encouraged me to get back on my feet.”

And that’s exactly what Samuel did. Trained as an industrial engineer, Samuel is currently studying at Seattle Central Community College to become a nurse. Perhaps his recent life experiences have led him to this compassionate, nurturing career.

Since the Cherry Street Food Bank was there when Samuel needed it, Samuel is now there for the food bank, volunteering 30-35 hours a quarter. “It is one of the best things to do for personal satisfaction—to help people falling on hard times because there are people who need it, just like I did. It feels good to reach out and help somebody in need—that’s what America is all about.”

As a volunteer, Sam sees behind the scenes of the operation and marvels at the amount of coordination and effort it takes to provide for so many clients. “To see the manpower it takes—volunteers giving their time pre-packaging meals, sorting foods, bagging beans and rice, all to make the day-to-day operation of the food bank go so smoothly— it is heartening to see their common purpose.”

Samuel Idem wants to share his story and encourage others to volunteer. “I do so because I believe in the sense of accomplishment you will feel in the course of helping to change someone’s life for the better.”

Volunteers, staff members and donors, please say hello to Sam when you see him helping out at Cherry Street Food Bank—he’s changing lives for the better, as are all our amazing volunteers with their generous gifts of time, talent, and caring. Thank you Samuel, for sharing your story with us!

Garnette’s Story

In May of 2004, I lost my job due to a very serious health problem. As a result of this I lost my home, my care, my credit, and was left with serious financial difficulties. Through other sources, I found a place to live so I moved from Marysville to Monroe. I found the wonderful Sky Valley Food Bank in Monroe and was able to have nutritious food. Because of the wonderful volunteers that were very kind to me, I also got back some of my dignity. I am 62 years old and worked all my adult life holding two and three jobs at a time. Losing so much at one time, I felt emotionally and physically bankrupt. As soon as I get back on my feet, I would love to help at the food bank and give back to the community which was so generous.

From the Hood Canal Food Bank:

We received a call from the neighbor of a woman who was having a hard time. Her husband had health problems and she had been laid off from work. Since she had never had to rely on a food bank, she was uncertain whether she’d qualify to receive help. She was hesitant to come to the food bank so volunteers from the food bank came to her, supplying her and her husband with a generous amount of food and reassuring them that their presence at the food bank would be welcome.

Kyla’s Story

At the time I started using the food bank, I was a single mother of three teenaged daughters. I was receiving public assistance as well as rental assistance. I had not worked in a very long time and felt I did not have any marketable skills. I stood on the argument that I could not afford to be without public assistance due to medical needs of my children and the penalties one faces under DSHS programs when working.

I found myself unable to make ends meet and as you well know, food is often the first place people are able to cut back when the need arises. I was visiting the Hoquiam Food Bank at least once a month and at times twice a month to supplement our food stamps.

I started volunteering at the food bank during the holidays. Due to my unemployment, I was able to spend a substantial amount of time helping out and before I knew it, I was named co-director of the food bank. Today, I am an elected City Council Member, the Chair of the Law and Public Safety Committee, the City Representative to the Coastal Community Action Program and I serve on the executive board of the Grays Harbor Democrats.

In short, the assistance of Northwest Harvest and my relationship with the director of the Hoqiuam Food Bank gave me the opportunity and self-assurance to move ahead in life, making a difference not only in the lives of my children but the lives of others as well.

Jennifer’s Story

I was a young, uneducated single mother who waited tables to support myself and my son. I got sick and could not make work for two shifts. Because of that, I could afford my rent but no groceries. I called around and found a local food bank. I was embarrassed and humbled as I stood there in line with my son holding my hand. I started to cry as it hit me that total strangers who had never even witnessed the bright smile of my son donated food so that we could eat.

 I never had to go back to the food bank again but the road to where I am today was not easy. I went to school and had to work two jobs for over five years to eventually get to where I am now – working at Nordstrom. But standing in line at the food bank years ago remains one of my most prominent memories.

I always worked to take care of myself and my son. I just got sick. Northwest Harvest is a wonderful organization that hopefully one day will not need to help any of our friends or family – but the reality is, they might.

Beau’s Story

Seventeen years ago, I was a food bank client. I had chronic seizures and was too ill to keep a job. I was living on the streets and in shelters, had no money, no job, and no family or friends around for support. At some point, someone introduced me to the notion of food banks. And while the food bank didn’t solve all my problems, it was a very critical piece that sustained me while I climbed out of the hole I was in.

Today I can hardly believe how far I’ve come since then. I have family, friends and a daughter I love more than life. I am healthy and no longer suffering from seizures. I love sailing, painting and salsa dancing! I am active and involved in the world. In the past ten years, I’ve been successful in building businesses as well as launching major e-commerce web sites. Now, I am a business owner involved in investments, innovative projects and business development.

Giving to Northwest Harvest is an investment in the lives and futures of real people just like you and me. From one person among thousands, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

From the Cherry Street Food Bank:

A friend of mine came to Cherry Street yesterday.  She has a job, but it pays close to minimum wage and they have cut down her hours recently.  She has three kids, ages four to nine.  On very short notice, we were able to provide her with two emergency boxes of food.  She was so appreciative of this and was excited to get home and show her kids the “gold mine” of food in her car.  She said several times how easy this was, and how different it was from government programs, where you have to lose a day of work to wait in lines and fill out paperwork. 

Grace’s Story

A woman came into the Cherry Street Food Bank yesterday. She had a baby slung on one hip and two toddlers chasing each other around her legs. As she signed in at the front counter, a volunteer paused from his work and presented the two children with stuffed animals. As the family progressed down the line, more volunteers supplied the mother with cans of soup and vegetables, bags of beans, coffee, rice and cartons of juice. By the time she reached the end of the line and was ready to go outside, bags of food bulged out around her like a bulbous plastic tutu. “Thank you,” she said as she left. “Thank you!”

This incident has been playing in my head for the past couple of days because although I was the one handing out the food this time, I was once one of those little kids. I know what it is like to go with little food for days. I even know what it is like to go with no food for days. I remember how it feels to wait outside for a food bank to open and to leave thinking, “We’re going to have dinner tonight!”

While my family has not seen it all, we have seen a lot. I remember standing in line at the South Tacoma F.I.S.H. Food Bank (a Northwest Harvest member program). Although my father worked full-time we needed the food bank in order to stretch out the food we were able to afford.  With four children ranging in age from two months to 10 years, there was a lot of stretching to do. We did experience a season of “middle class” but with my father’s death in 1998 we plunged back to low income. Once again, food, one of the most basic needs, was not always accessible to us.

Fortunately, again with the help of the F.I.S.H. Food Bank and with a wonderful gleaning program through Tahoma Food System, my family no longer had to worry about whether or not there was going to be dinner. Not only that, through Tahoma Food System my family has helped procure food for various food banks in Tacoma.

This summer, through the Teens in Public Service program, I jumped at the chance to volunteer at Northwest Harvest. Helping out at the Cherry Street Food Bank has given me the chance to help people with whom I can personally relate. It has also given me a chance to reflect and look back on my own experiences growing up.

I feel there is one thing I need to say.

Thank you. To all of the donors and corporations who keep food banks open, thank you. To all of the staff and volunteers who work in these food banks, thank you. To everyone who helped my family, who however indirectly enabled me to give back, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Could this be you one day?

Dave’s Story

A 62 year-old man worked a unionized labor job at the same plant for 35 years. When industry slowdowns led to impending layoffs, the man took his company’s offer of early retirement. He had to have a second hip replacement anyway, so he accepted the reduced pension and continuing benefits in hopes that a younger worker would be able to keep his or her job.

Two years later, the plant’s parent company declared bankruptcy. The pension funds were seized and benefits were discontinued.

The man found a job as night custodian at the high school, taking it mostly because it offered medical benefits. That same year, his wife, who had been disabled for years, was diagnosed with diabetes. Their prescription costs skyrocketed.

Allison’s Story

A 30 year-old woman has just finished putting herself through the state university by working as a barista in an independent coffee shop. The hours suited her class schedule, the tips were enough to pay for books, and she had access to medical care through her school. After graduation, however, she finds she no longer receives medical benefits. 

She picks up more hours at the coffee shop and plans to save money for graduate school while also applying for jobs in her field. 

Very suddenly, a strange mole appears on her back. At the urging of a friend, she goes to see a doctor, and is quickly diagnosed with a stage III melanoma.  She has to have surgery on her back as soon as possible, followed by another on her lymph nodes, followed a year of interferon treatment, which will cost $7,000 a month.