Lori is a loving mom of six, grandmother to twelve and a wife. Her bright eyes and big smile are always welcoming when I see her, but I met her long after she overcame a major hardship. I can only imagine how different those eyes looked back in 2009. That was the year her ex-husband left the entire family. She stayed in the house and she agreed that he could pay the mortgage since he wasn’t paying child support. Little did she know that a bigger crisis was brewing as he was not paying the mortgage at all.
Lori’s job didn’t provide enough money for her to support her family on her own and eviction was eminent. Like many families who find themselves in a crisis, she began weighing her options and that meant trying to justify which bill to pay. “Do we pay for electricity or food?” were the questions she was asking herself. It was probably the need to ask herself these questions at all that spurned her looking for a resource and she found The Caring Place. She applied for services and reminisced about her first trip to the Food Pantry. “Back then, you walked up to a service window in the little lobby and a volunteer would hand you food. The lady was so kind. She said, ‘you have so many kids, we need to fill your pantry,’ It was so warm and kind.” Lori continued describing how the volunteer gave her the groceries, but then also brought out a gigantic chocolate cake from HEB’s day old bakery donations. Lori knew instantly her kids would love this. Lori drove home and the kids came out to unload the car. Everyone was so excited to see all the food. Lori said, “It was like Santa came. They were all happily putting it away. And it was all such a relief. I didn’t know where to go, I didn’t have family here and I didn’t know where to turn. It was amazing to have The Caring Place so I could bring home food to my family.”
Thoughts returned to that gigantic chocolate cake as Lori told her story. It had an important part in her memories. While the kids were unloading the car, she hid the cake and brought it inside later. She placed it in the middle of the kitchen table and called the children in. Lori said they all came in with dropped mouths and hands on their little cheeks. “Wow!” they all gasped. “They were teary eyed and so happy. That chocolate cake was the best thing ever. We went from wondering what was for dinner to having dinner and this amazing chocolate cake.” Lori continued, “Whenever I see a chocolate cake I think of The Caring Place, even 16 years later. That cake was a warm hug for my family. The Caring Place was here for us. We were going to be ok. We were going to eat.”
The Food Pantry helped Lori’s family for around six months and she also received utility assistance. She ultimately left her home behind, moved her family, began getting child support and restarted her life. It was clearly that first trip to the Food Pantry that left a mark on her heart though.
Lori always knew she wanted to help people feel the same way she did after her first visit to the Food Pantry. She worked at a big retailer for 18 years before finding her way back to The Caring Place in a new way. Lori has been the Assistant Manager at both of The Caring Place’s thrift stores for the past two years. She shared, “I am so glad I ended up here using my customer service and merchandising skills to make money for an organization that will help other families have that same feeling mine did.” You can find Lori’s magic touch in every corner of The Shops at The Caring Place these days. If you see an entire room transformed, holidays on display in the most amazing way or colors partnered beautifully, Lori has probably been there. Beyond Lori’s artistry in the store, she also shares a work ethic we are grateful for.
Lori has advice for struggling families. “I look back at that time and as I was going through it, I was scared. I kept thinking, I am not going to survive. How do people do things like this? I learned in the toughest times is when you gain the most strength. I am a different person now. I am so much stronger.” Lori explained at the time she had no idea how to look for resources in the community. That was a big lesson for her. She encourages families to know what’s in the community so they can be prepared or they can help others with their knowledge. She explained, “When you get into a crisis, asking what you will feed your children for dinner, your brain doesn’t think very clearly. You are in a scared mode. It’s helpful to know where you could go in that situation.”
When it comes to thinking about the people we help at The Caring Place, Lori said, “I feel like I have a good understanding of what our clients are going through because I have been a client. I know what they are going through. I know how important our mission is because at one point our mission helped feed my kids. And there is nothing more important than that as a mother.”
What does Lori say about The Caring Place’s fundraising campaigns? “It might just be dollar signs. But it is really food for families who don’t have food on the table, it’s electricity for mothers or fathers who are wondering how they will keep the lights on, it’s a deposit for a family who doesn’t know how to get their next place. It means so much and it helps people rise up from the problems that they are currently having to being in a better place. And the money can do that.”
