Karen Understands Needing Help:

Karen decided to volunteer at St. Paul's Church pantry, because she knows what it's like to feel the pain of hunger. She wanted to help others just as she had been helped during her hard times.

Karen and her husband struggled to make ends meet on the salary of a painter and nurse's assistant. Often they would move to a warmer part of the country during the cold Ohio winters, to keep her husband employed. Living paycheck to paycheck and without health insurance proved too much when her husband had to have open-heart surgery.

Karen turned to community resources for assistance, including Medicaid, Food Stamps, and the help of local food pantries, like St. Paul's. Thankful for the help received all those many years ago, Karen is an active volunteer at St. Paul's. She currently volunteers at the pantry and lends a hands in the Young Peacemaker's Club, where kids get a meal after school and are involved in constructive activities.

But that's not the end of Karen's story. In May 2007, Karen discovered she was diabetic. She is now receiving assistance through the Special Dietary Needs Pantry at The Foodbank. Karen has met with the dietician and has gained a better understanding of the importance of diet with her disease.

Karen has a unique perspective on hunger in our community. She's been on both ends of it and encourages everyone to help in anyway they can.