Nancy Hasdovic

My name is Nancy Hasdovic. I came to the food pantry because I’m a retired teacher from Sacramento City Schools, and oftentimes I would see children come to school hungry and in tears before lunchtime, just not able to function. And there are so many families that need the extra support of food. They run out. Many of the families, the disabled, the sick that get dismissed from the hospital live by themselves, have to go home to an empty cupboard. So, they come to the food bank first before they go home to heal their injuries or whatever from the hospital.

 

And what really gives me a lift outside of helping those people is seeing people that maybe have been unemployed for a while, and occasionally we’re able to give them a tip like applying for the arena employment, and that is so amazing to watch their faces just light up at some glimmer of hope.

 

When I started here four years ago, there was probably about a fourth as many people. And in four years, it’s just mushroomed. I think their paychecks have not kept up with the expenses for a number of them, and a number of them have not been able to find any work. I have had some of my neighbors come in. I don’t tell anybody who they are. They either are asking me where to get food or what have you, because I live in a very nice, middle-class neighborhood. And to me, that’s the most surprising is when you see even your neighbors that you don’t expect to have problems may have problems. You don’t necessarily know who they are.