At the National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference and Lobby Day, Chicago area advocates bring their communities' stories to Capitol Hill
When Mihriba Amin first arrived in the United States in 1996, she had to start a new life at age 29 in a land that was completely foreign to her. As refugees from the Bosnian War, Amin, her husband and their young son sought safety and hoped for a better life. But they started with nothing. “The first time the plane touched the ground, (they) said, ‘Welcome to O’Hare International Airport,’ I’m crying, my husband is crying and our 18-month-old son was like, ‘Why are you crying?’” recalled Amin, 52, who now runs a food pantry at the predominately Latino and low-income Lloyd Elementary School on Chicago’s Northwest Side.
Mihriba Amin
“If you don’t give them a lift and a push, they’ll have bigger needs than they do now," Amin said.Here are a few other stories from the Food Depository’s advocates:
Pearl Smith
Pearl Smith hopes to be a voice for those who visit the food pantry at Abounding Life Church in Posen, a south suburb of Chicago. Smith, 52, was recently named coordinator of the pantry, though she’s served the church community in other ways for more than 20 years. In her day job, Smith works in administration at the Jessie Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center.Pearl Smith
“Sometimes you’re tired, but you’re really not tired because you’re able to help someone else,” she said.While in the nation’s capital, Smith said she hopes to learn and grow as an advocate. And she plans on asking legislators to consider increasing SNAP benefits for senior citizens, as many who turn to her pantry are struggling to make ends meet. “If I can put my two cents in when I go to Capitol Hill, I’ll put it out there,” Smith said.
Linda Dumas
After retiring from a career in healthcare spanning four decades, Linda Dumas wasn’t quite ready to devote all her time to knitting. She and her husband, John Dumas, founded the Share Food Share Love Food Pantry in suburban Brookfield in December 2015. Since then, the pantry has steadily grown and now serves about 200 families a month, a mix of working families, senior citizens and military veterans.Linda Dumas
“We know there’s more hunger out there," she said. "We want to get the word out and reduce some of that stigma.”When her husband led the charge in opening the pantry, which is part of the Food Depository’s vast network in Cook County, Dumas said she warned him that she’d help but wouldn’t be there all the time. She had, after all, just wrapped up a demanding career as a medical assistant and practice manager. “And then as soon as we got started, I’m there all the time. It’s just such a rewarding experience – that feeling that you’re concretely helping someone,” Dumas said. Dumas hopes to share some personal stories from her pantry with lawmakers on Tuesday, like that of the divorced mother of a teenage daughter who struggles to afford healthy food. Often, people are working but still can’t afford to buy food while also paying their bills, she said. “Talking with legislators, I want them to understand that the people who need this help are just like you and I,” Dumas said. “Those people are just as important as you and I.”
John Cason
John Cason manages logistics for the Community Feast soup kitchen, a longtime operation in Rogers Park on Chicago’s North Side that serves about 80 to 100 people every Sunday.John Cason
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