Submitted by Pastor Paul Kim, Senior Pastor, The House – A Church Family

Marie and her beautiful daughter visited one of our pantries recently. From among the crowd they stood out because of their big smiles and copious “thank you’s.” When Marie was offered some corn, she declined. Since she didn’t have any place to cook it, the corn would be of better use to someone else, Marie said.

When asked about their story, Marie shared that when she became unexpectedly pregnant, many suggested abortion. Both of her parents had passed away and circumstances were hard, but for Marie, terminating the pregnancy was not an option. This was eight years ago. While she has never regretted her decision, the eight years since her daughter’s birth have been hard.

When Marie came to the pantry, she was out of food and out of gas—literally and figuratively—but the Lord has been faithful to her. She promised that we would meet at church. We have been able to connect, and by his grace, our connection will continue to grow. We are looking forward to this in faith and in hope.

With reports that the economy is strong, it can be difficult to comprehend why millions of Americans continue to receive support from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), often referred to as food stamps. According to the USDA, most SNAP recipients who can work, do work.

Ann and her son are one of many working families struggling to find good-paying jobs, keep up with expenses, and have enough food on their table. Ann has worked 40 hours per week in retail for many years but recently her hours were reduced. She does not want her son to work while he pursues a degree in Information Technology.

“I want him to get through school and have a career, not a dead-end job,” Ann said. If it were not for the support she receives from the pantry, and SNAP, Ann would be stranded. On a recent visit to the pantry, she confessed that her 15 hours a week job is not enough to survive.

“I only have enough for maybe two weeks, then I’d be living like I was in college: a bag of potato chips to last me the whole week, or Ramen soup,” she said. “That is not good food, brain food, for a young person who is going to college or for me. I’d get sick.”

Despite her current plight, Ann is hopeful that better times are ahead. Her son is close to finishing his degree, and in the meantime, she has an interview lined up for a second job to help make ends meet.

When Judy’s husband Bob lost his job as a civil engineer during the downturn in the economy, all the air was let out of the family’s financial balloon. A one-income family with two teen children, Bob and Judy quickly burned through their savings while he looked in vain for work in his field.

Judy took a clerical job just to have some money coming in, but it was not enough to keep their home. Being homeless was beyond the family’s wildest imagination—just a year earlier, they had felt so secure. They found themselves relying on the goodness of friends, who offered them limited spaces in their own homes.

It became necessary for Bob to live in one place with his son, and Judy to live separately with their daughter, for months at a time. As a mother, Judy says these were
the toughest of times. The family finally got a break when their church found them a place they could rent together.

Still, there was not enough money to cover both rent and food. After more than a year of refusing help, the family finally gave in and visited a local food pantry supplied by the Valley Food Bank. The food they received helped to sustain their hope, keep their family together, and get them through the tough time.

Today, Bob is working again as an engineer, and Judy has found a job she loves as well. Both children are thriving and on their way to success, and things are looking up—a great testament to what is possible when a community cares enough to provide the basics for regular people who are struggling to make life work. This story is repeated thousands of times every day, in different ways, across the valley.

What started as a routine food drive to help the community has blossomed into a very competitive department drive generating thousands of new food resources and the largest cash contributors to our annual Turkey Drive. The driving force behind this very successful endeavor is Mark Taylor, Head of Production for DreamWorks Animation Television division. A genius in the creative world of animation, Mark also has a passion for reaching out to the community and helping those individuals and families struggling to make ends meet. He has initiated some very tangible and practical means to contribute to our ongoing “Fighting Hunger – Feeding Hope” campaign to help thousands in need.

This past holiday season DreamWorks Animation Television division topped their previous year’s generosity by donating more than 38,000 items of food and other essentials coupled with more than $20,000 for the purchase of turkeys and other holiday fare. Mark would be the first to acknowledge the generosity of his great team and looks forward to making 2018 an even bigger event. Thanks to all the DreamWorks employees and family members that made it possible for so many more families to have a great holiday season.