U.S. - Illinois

"I know there is hope for me" - a letter from Jay Iguchi

I was born in Korea but am now a United States citizen. In 2004, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and at the same time my husband and I unexpectedly lost our business. Soon after that, the bank foreclosed on our home, and we had to use our entire savings to pay my medical bills.

A friend of mine told me about the Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry in Northern Illinois. At first, I was ashamed that I had to visit the pantry. But I had no choice. I decided to go, and for the first time in a long while I had hope. I realized there were people who cared for me and cared about what I was going through.

During my first visit to the pantry, I was treated with great respect. I left with a lot of quality food products, and I have been using the pantry for one-and-a-half years now. Some day, I hope we will be stable enough to stand on our own financially, but until that day comes, I know there is hope for me.

Now I volunteer at the pantry. I want to give back to the community because I want others to feel less burdened when things go badly in their lives. The Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry gave me not only hope but the strength to go on.

--Jay Iguchi
A resident of Boone County, Illinois

Your gifts to ELCA World Hunger help support the Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry and many other ministries like it through the ELCA Domestic Hunger Grants Program.