The Community Dining Room lunch room is always full. New faces and families appear each day. Times are tough and getting tougher.  Not having enough money for food each day, many come to our dining room for a hot, nutritious lunch. They eat together in community and with a sense of mutual respect. Two such guests, Nick and Nora*, have become good friends. They met in our dining room, about one month ago, at lunch. Sharing their stories they found they had both been laid off from their jobs and were struggling to get their unemployment benefits in place. Nick has also become a support for Nora’s young son. They share their needs and experiences, the things they have in common and their frustrations during these challenging economic times. Nora has found some part time night work and Nick helps with her child. They have become good friends. Friendships forged from necessity often yield kind and supportive relationships. 

  Nick and Nora come for lunch each day. They attend our Tuesday night dinner and especially look forward to our Saturday full breakfast. They tell me they are so thankful for the food and companionship they receive at the Community Dining Room. They tell me again and again they could not “make it” without the support of the CDR. They thank me so often I no longer know what to say.    Being a part of this small piece of the larger fabric which makes up the plight of those out of work and struggling financially I have come to respect their hardships endured and appreciate the small parts overcome. Nick and Nora tell me they are going to be okay. I believe, with the help of food programs like ours at the Community Dining Room, this is true.   There are many supports to be thankful for: additional federal funding for food stamps, local community efforts and far-sighted grant programs like the Neighbor-2-Neighbor LifeLine. N2N is providing the CDR with resources necessary to sustain our programs and improve them in order to meet the increasing needs of our less fortunate neighbors. As the number of unemployed continues to increase the CDR is looking for additional ways to provide support. We are considering offering an additional week night dinner with the help of Neighbor-2-Neighbor LifeLine grant funds. Together we will assure all people have access to nutritious food at all times.     *names have been changed