John’s story

When John thinks back on his life, he’s proud. At 73, he remembers his long career in telecommunications, which took him overseas and allowed him to experience vibrant cultures and meet interesting people; he speaks with care and affection about his beloved wife of 46 years, Sheila; and he reminisces about New York City, where he grew up cooking with his Italian American parents, and attended college to study political science.

John did what he was “supposed” to do. He worked hard, paid taxes, and spent modestly. Yet, when an unexpected layoff came in 2012, John found himself struggling to find his footing. It wasn’t long before he and Sheila were forced to move out of their apartment and into a shelter while John searched for work. Finally, he caught a break. He found a steady job that allowed him to rent a small apartment where he and Sheila still live today.

More than 10 years later, though, that experience stays with John. The anxiety associated with financial instability has at times been debilitating, “I started using an inhaler,” says John, “I never had anxiety attacks [before], but the thought of falling back into homelessness gets me very upset.” When John found himself without a job again in 2022, he was in an even more delicate position. At that point, John was over 70 years old; he had been living with diabetes for 20 years, and after a series of falls and significant and rapid weight loss, John was at a critical point. He was in poor health, having trouble accessing care, and unable to afford his basic needs. John was barely scraping by when he began lying to Sheila about skipping meals to ensure she ate; that’s when he was referred to Moveable Feast.

“Moveable Feast got me back to a healthy weight,” says John. “My doctor was very happy to see my A1C drop from a 9 to a 6, and the timely and consistent deliveries give me a sense of security.”

It’s that sense of security that many are living without now. John is more uncertain than ever about his access to public benefits, and he worries about what the future holds. “The worst thing [about the threat of losing services] is not knowing what’s going to happen. What’s the fallout? What’s coming?” says John.

Like many of our clients, John is living with complex health and social needs and is often challenged by obstacles accessing care, including quality nutrition. When he does get his hands on some decent tomatoes, though, he finds great joy in cooking his mother’s best Italian recipes, and when he doesn’t, he knows there’s a hot meal waiting for him, delivered by Moveable Feast.

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