‘Cafeteria ladies’ keep those hot meals coming
“It’s a very busy world that we live in, and we sometimes seem to put God on the back burner. Most moms work these days, so we’re trying to help them be able to go home, get their kids ready, come...
Cake baker finding it hard to hang up her apron
“When my father was in the Navy, my mom taught cake decorating in Hawaii at Pearl Harbor. It wasn’t long before I got involved. I’ve been making cakes since I was in the eighth grade. “When you have three kids you...
Sign language helps her connect with others
“I learned American Sign Language in high school and was part of the Singing Hands group, where we performed songs in sign language. I loved the upbeat energy and the positivity of it. Being able to reach out to people who...
Army Reserve experience not what he anticipated
“I dropped out of high school at the beginning of my junior year. It’s a long story. Eventually, I got my GED and joined the Army. I wanted to do something positive with my life. “I was working long hours and...
Young daughters provide motivation for dad
“When I got out of the Army Reserve, my ex-wife and I were in the process of getting a divorce. At first, we had shared custody of our two kids. Then she started doing drugs, so I got my kids fulltime....
Homeless woman: ’embarrassing to ask for money’
“I lost my husband. He died from drinking too much. I couldn’t keep him from drinking. We were married for about 10 years. “Since he passed away, I don’t have any family here. So I’m kind of by myself again. It’s...
Spanish-to-English transition happened fast
“I was born in a border city in Texas, but then we went back to Mexico because my dad was a preacher. We moved around a lot when I was very little. I have bits and pieces of memories of different...
Best-laid college plans take last-minute detour
“I was going to be an engineering major. I was going to outfit planes. All the insides, where you can decide if it’s going to have wood paneling or if it’s going to be stainless steel. You have to do all...
‘Lot of regrets’ for tumultuous teenager years
“I made some pretty bad choices as a teenager. I used to threaten my parents, like saying I was going to kill myself. I did it just to make them feel bad, so I could get what I wanted. “They finally...
‘I want to make a difference and help change lives’
“There are a lot of people in this world who only care about themselves and money. I don’t want to be like those people. I want to make a difference and help change lives. I want to help people who don’t...
