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Showing posts from 2016

Keeping food on the table: Jessica's story

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We hope you had a fantastic Christmas, and we want to wish you a Happy New Year! As we go into the new year, one important resolution is to continue to help people right here in our own neighborhood who are facing new challenges. In spite of the improving economy, the a decreasing risk of hunger nationwide, Oregon is proving to be an exception. Here, the rate is actually rising. The number of children threatened by hunger in our state is greater than the population of Eugene. That’s a lot of kids. No child should have to face a day of school on an empty stomach. A big part of this problem is likely related to skyrocketing rent costs in the Portland area, which are putting new financial strains on families. PACS helps ease this burden by providing groceries to families who are struggling. Jessica & Mark are the parents in one of these families. They have three daughters, including 7-month-old Mercy. Mark works full-time at a restaurant, but his wages are very low. The family

Helping Paul see again

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Paul was a hard worker. Since high school, he had never been unemployed for long. But one day, that all changed . First, he was in an accident that left him temporarily unable to work. Then, the loss of income led to a worsening of his diabetes. “The amount and types of food I was able to consume was not really great for the diabetes side of it, it was all rather starchy,” he said. Finally, his diabetes began to affect his eyesight, until one day, he realized he was rapidly going blind. “I was having a lot of trouble seeing anything at all,” he said. “ I was frustrated, depressed, and feeling the weight of the world and trying to get back to where I was, but things were not happening the way I anticipated.” With no income and no health insurance, Paul decided getting disability benefits was his only hope. But when he contacted a lawyer seeking advice on the process, the lawyer told him about the PACS Health Clinic, and he decided to check it out .