She is a senior citizen who depends on FIES for her food … placed into her hands by your generous heart.

Years ago, Miriam became a single mom—when her two daughters were still toddlers. She worked hard all her life to support them, and was still working well past retirement age. She never held a job that included retirement benefits, nor did she earn enough to save very much.

Although Miriam is now 78-years young, as recently as a year ago she was still working, employed at T.J. Maxx. Being on her feet four hours every day, and after years of waitressing at banquets, her feet were in bad shape. Last April Miriam underwent foot surgery, believing she would soon be back on the job. Sadly, it didn’t turn out well.

“I’m still recuperating almost a year later, because those eight toes are awfully sensitive even now. They held my job open for a while, but it is impossible for me to work now and be on my feet. If I had it to do over again, I would not have had the operation.”

Her only income is from Social Security. It doesn’t go far enough for her home expenses, much less food. “I couldn’t find a place to live any more reasonably than in my paid-for house. And I can’t sell it because its value has gone down a lot. I’m stuck here.”

So a couple of times each month, even though it is still painful to walk, Miriam drives her 12-year-old car to FIES, to stock up on what you and others have so wonderfully provided: “I’m so grateful for this help. When I come in, they say, ‘Hello, Miriam.’ They never make me feel like a welfare case. No, not at all.”

Much of the food is donated by local grocery stores like Trader Joe’s and by people like you. Thank you! FIES volunteers then store the food temporarily in three ocean shipping containers, located next to the FIES distribution center. Each container is the size of a delivery truck, about eight feet wide, 15 feet long, and seven feet high. Shelving is limited, and the third container is just an open space, with no shelves.

Volunteers sort the donated food items into boxes, sometimes stacking six or seven boxes high. They can crush, and shift, sometimes tipping over. It is very inefficient.

But here is the problem. The average age of our wonderful volunteers is 80-years young! So you can imagine the difficulties! Sometimes they’ll dig down a stack, only to find that the food is expired, which we then can’t give out.

Limited shelves in the other two shipping containers are for sure a help. Volunteers installed them—a gift from Paul Lauder at McCombs-Wall, Inc., in Orange. I am so grateful, but we need more!

Also, we have a similar food-storage situation at the FIES New Vista transitional shelter. Storage for frozen food is critical because we may have up to 46 residents at a time at the shelter. The solution there is a large, commercial freezer with shelves.

I so appreciate all you have done to feed the hungry in our community. We have some pretty wonderful volunteers, up to a hundred of them at any one time. But, over the past six months, we have not been able to use all the volunteers to help the hungry. I need to explain…

Nancy Somerville has been our wonderful volunteer coordinator, employed through a special grant. But this funding ran out at the end of September, last year. She has continued to help as able, but can’t do all she wants. Without this funding that makes her full time service possible, we have a bottleneck of training, scheduling, and supervising many willing volunteers. The bottom line is that we simply cannot mobilize all the volunteers who are ready to help.

Thankfully, some funding has been renewed, but only for a few months. We need to fill in this financial gap.

Knowing the number of people who are hungry and who depend on FIES, could you help mobilize and coordinate volunteers? Providing for her position, shelving for a third food storage container, plus a large-capacity freezer, means we need to raise $18,600 as soon as possible.

Would you have a part, by sending a gift of $35, $50, $100, or maybe $200? Feeding the hungry may be a personal call for you. If so, and you have good financial resources, perhaps you can help with a larger gift of $500 or $1,000. Should you own a local business, this might be a great way to help right here in our own community.

Incredibly, last year, FIES gave away 7,820 shopping bags filled with non-perishable, canned and boxed food. In addition, hundreds of bags of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy products, and baked goods were given out. Yet, the need continues. In fact, more people are coming to FIES for help then ever before.

So for whatever you are able to give, I thank you from my heart. By the way, when we were interviewing Miriam for my letter, she wanted you to know this from her heart: “Tell them that they’re a godsend, a true blessing …” I agree. You and every partner of FIES are so appreciated. Thank you for allowing me to share about the ministry through these letters. I’m confident you will be blessed for however you can help.

Serving as your hands of help,

Pam Lee
Pam Lee, Executive Director
Fullerton Interfaith Emergency Service

P.S.: P.S.: Because of you, FIES gave away more food to more hungry people in 2010 than in 2009. The number of hungry folks in our community continues to increase. Your gift toward these storage shelves, a new freezer, and to coordinate volunteers to feed the hungry will mean so much. If you can, please send your gift by April 30. Thank you again. You can give securely online if you prefer. Just click on the “Donate” button. You can also give, using your credit card, by calling (714) 680-3691.