For 28 years, May worked as a clinician and associate director for a program that supports children and adolescents with developmental disabilities. But in 2012, she was assaulted by a patient on the job and sustained critical injuries to her spine, head, and knees. Now disabled, she receives a small amount of monthly assistance and works part-time to supplement it, but it’s still not enough to get by.
When her rent was recently raised, May wasn’t sure she’d even be able to stay. When we met her at the Comprehensive Community Action Program pantry in Cranston, she was looking into applying for SNAP and rental assistance.
May says her disability check mostly covers rent, but there are still other bills to be paid. She prioritizes rent first, then medication, which, before discovering the pantry meant that she sometimes only ate a few days a week.
“I’ve never taken help before – I always thought I was taking it away from people who needed it more,” May told us. “It was really hard to come here the first time. I went home with my food and cried. But the staff here were so kind – they walked me through everything that first day. That helped so much.”
Now, May visits CCAP’s pantry for things like vegetables, beans, and chicken. As a diabetic, she’s committed to eating healthfully and stretches the food she gets from the pantry as far as she can.
“If someone was afraid to come to the pantry, I’d tell them to come. If you need help, it’s for a reason.”
*May chose to change her name and photo to protect her identity
