As caring neighbors, we’re ready to offer and give help, yet most of us struggle to reach out for ourselves.

The first time JP went to Neighborhood House’s Free Food Market, he was nervous and embarrassed to ask for help.

“I was the one who was helping people my whole life – always. And I loved doing that,” he said. “When you’re the one who is used to giving, it’s really humbling to ask for help.”

JP left a successful career as a marketing executive to help his family through a health crisis.  He used his savings to get through, and thought he would be able to get back on track with plenty of time to continue working. Instead, he faced a series of setbacks due to his own health issues.

“You’ve just got to find something positive to make you get out of bed each day.”

His mother was diagnosed with ALS around the same time his sister was severely injured in a car accident. They both needed extensive help so JP left work to care for them. “To go from an exciting career to staying home and caring for others was tough.” He said it was a “really hard decision, but one that was right for my family. I’m glad I had that opportunity.”

When JP lost both his mother and his sister, he was left adrift. “I was at such a loss. But then I found out what my next step would be: fighting for my life.”

Cancer.

Soon after losing his mother and sister, JP was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma – skin cancer.

Fighting cancer for 3 ½ years was a long, hard slog. “You’ve just got to find something positive to make you get out of bed each day,” he said. He credits his life-long healthy lifestyle and positive mental attitude to help him survive the disease. JP has now been cancer-free for 11 years.

But the hits just kept on coming.

Chemo treatments left scar tissue in his joints, necessitating a hip replacement. Then JP discovered that years of taking thyroid medication caused severe bone degeneration. That called for another health treatment that drained his already decimated savings.

“I had great insurance, but cancer treatments took a huge chunk.” Conquering multiple illnesses created financial challenges that left him with a very small budget.

JP met with a social worker who gave him financial tips and referred him to Neighborhood House’s Free Food Market.

“We all have a stereotype in our head of the type of person who needs a food bank. But in reality, people come from all walks of life. We all have a story.”

JP was scared and nervous for his first visit. “I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t want to tell my friends. I knew I had to do this, but….” He breaks off with emotion. “We all have a stereotype in our head of the type of person who needs a food bank. But in reality, people come from all walks of life. We all have a story for what brings us here.”

“Everyone here – the staff, the volunteers – are all welcoming, gracious and respectful.” Given his health issues, JP prioritizes a healthy diet. At the Free Food Market, he’s able to find organic fruits and vegetables and other essentials for healthy eating.

Even lentils.

His doctor has encouraged him to eat more lentils, which JP hates. Market staff go out of their way to find donated products to help encourage him to get lentils in his diet. One of the volunteers even made me a lentil stew. “Someone saved me some lentil cookies the other day. It was so thoughtful of them, but…” (he shivers and makes a face).

Having help with food has “made a huge difference for me. I couldn’t have made it otherwise.” It helps him pay for the other necessities of life, like rent and his medical bills.

“Food is important, but the people are too. And I’m just so grateful to everyone. So many people are involved: the stores who donate healthy food, to the volunteers and staff who put everything together. That’s why I feel so strongly about writing thank you notes. I’m just one person who is being helped, but there are so many of us. So I say thank you on their behalf.”

*Name changed for privacy

I started using the Free Food Market. I learned about more programs that could help us. But the biggest change wasn’t the services themselves.

It was how I was treated. 

For the first time in my entire life, I was met with dignity. 

I wasn’t talked down to. I wasn’t made to feel ashamed for needing help. I wasn’t forced to “prove” I deserved to survive. At Neighborhood House, people spoke to me with genuine respect, something I have so often not been given, simply due to my circumstances. That changed everything. Even now, it still brings tears to my eyes. 

When you’re disabled, when you’re parenting alone, when you’re just trying to get through the day without falling apart…asking for help is hard. Being treated with kindness backed by action? It’s life-changing. 

That kindness empowered me. 
I joined the Head Start Policy Council. 
I became involved in statewide advocacy work. 
And eventually, when someone asked if I would consider joining the Neighborhood House Board, I said yes. 

Being on the board fills a need I’ve carried my whole life: the deep need to give back. There is so little any one person can do alone. But when we connect, when we come together as a community, everything becomes possible. 

People sometimes ask me why services like Neighborhood House still matter. 

My answer is simple: 

Because income inequality is growing. 
Because our systems do not prioritize people in poverty. 
Because without places like Neighborhood House, people really would go hungry. Children would go without resources necessary to thrive. Housing insecure families would be turned out into the streets. 
And that is simply not acceptable.

Until we change the systems that create these conditions in the first place, we need community-based organizations that keep people alive, keep families housed, and treat every neighbor with dignity.

And there’s one more thing I want you to know:

No one chooses this. 

Everyone is doing the best they can. 
Sometimes people just need a little boost.

When you donate or volunteer at Neighborhood House, it is truly life changing. You may never meet every person you help—but please know there are so many of us who feel overwhelmed with gratitude because these services exist.

I am one of them.

So today, as we close out the year, I’m asking you to help more neighbors like me.

Here’s how you can help right now: 

  • Make a gift today — your support goes directly to families who need it most.
  • Start a food dr​ive — our Food Security Program is a lifeline and always needs support. 
  • Share my letter with a friend who believes in a more just and caring community.

Thank you for believing in this work.

Thank you for believing in people like me. 

With gratitude,

Love 
Board Member & Program Participant 
Neighborhood House 

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