THREE WEEKS AT A TIME
Joddie Samelson stopped by the Kidder County Food Pantry in Steele knowing what she would receive that day would last her for three weeks. Open the fourth Monday of each month, Joddie has come to rely on the Kidder County Food Pantry, a partner agency of the Great Plains Food Bank, to get her through most months.
“This is just an awesome thing,” she said. “I don’t know what people would do without it.”
Joddie knows all too well the struggles facing many seniors in North Dakota that often go unnoticed. Living on a fixed income, there have been times when she has been forced to make the difficult choice between using the money she does have to either pay for food or for medicine. She is having car problems that need attention, but doesn’t have money available to consult a mechanic. They are all a part of her daily struggles.
Having enough money to afford medications are crucial for her quality of life. On this particular day, Joddie’s son Matthew accompanied her to the food pantry. Joddie lost the use of her right arm following a stroke and having the assistance from members of her family is always appreciated.
Joddie has been able to visit the Kidder County Food Pantry each month for the last three or four years where she has grown especially fond of the pastas, canned goods, fresh produce, milk and eggs. She is also able to receive Social Security benefits, Medicare and commodities through the USDA Senior Food Pack Program. Those benefits allow Joddie to live her life as best she can.
Without assistance from the food pantry, Joddie estimates she would have to do her best to make do living on crackers and eggs.
She is extremely grateful for the assistance that is provided.