Neighborhood House sat down with John to talk about the food delivery service and what it means to him and his health.
Neighborhood House: “How has the food delivery service helped you?”
John: “It fills in the gaps in between. I’ve been getting services from the Neighborhood House Market ever since I had a stroke. At first, I was half paralyzed and I couldn’t go out to buy food because of my disability. I was surviving on whatever I could get easily. I ate a lot of ramen. I’m also a diabetic, so a variety of foods helps me.
When you started doing food delivery every two weeks it really helped. I started to get some weight back up on myself and eat healthier. The delivery service has got me through. Neighborhood House has kept me alive.
The deliveries kept me healthy from Covid, too. I never caught the virus because I didn’t have to go out a lot and mingle with people. I was so weak from my stroke it really scared me to get the virus on top of everything else.”
NH: “Is the ordering system easy to use?”
John: “They rotate the food options and that works well for me. That way I’m not stuck eating one thing all the time. I have a thing called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) where I’ve had concussions and then when I had my stroke, I lost some brain cells. I’ll make macaroni and tomato sauce – things that are simple for me. Sometimes eating a whole meal isn’t what’s in my thought process, but I eat enough to keep me going.
NH: “How has the food delivery service helped increase your access to healthy and nutritious foods?”
John: “With the variety of food available, it helps me plan meals better. I’m able to find better quality food, instead of going down to the store and just looking for what’s been discounted. It helps my diabetes too.”
NH: “What would help improve the food delivery service?”
John: “A winning lottery ticket (chuckles). I know a lot of people that need care and service. It’s a big process and I think you guys are doing a good job. I’m comfortable with the process. I’m so grateful.”
You can learn more about the Free Food Market and food delivery program on our website: Food Security – Neighborhood House
