Ashley's Story
Ashley was gutsy enough to compete in a profession typically dominated by men. But when a work injury hit and she found it difficult to walk and stand, the mother of two was forced to leave her dream profession to focus on her health.
“It took me forever to get that job. I was making $17.50 an hour, but I couldn’t do it anymore. I could hardly walk,” said Ashley, who requires a cane for balance.
Ashley spent several years pursuing two industrial arts degrees. She was thrilled to be working as a welder when, after standing for full days balanced on a narrow pipe, she ended up with a debilitating foot and ankle injury.
Today, the 25-year-old has a steady stream of appointments with doctors and physical therapists who are trying to figure out how to best restore her mobility so she can return to work.
In the meantime, Ashley’s family is stretched to the limit as they try to work around high grocery prices and survive on her boyfriend’s paycheck and her Labor and Industries payments.
“It’s outrageous. If I try to go buy groceries, it’s at least $100 and we barely get anything at all,” Ashley said. “You try to eat healthy, but you can’t because it’s so much money.”
As one of many families battling harsh economic conditions caused by job losses, Ashley turned to Food Sense nutrition classes to learn how to stretch her food budget and get some fresh foods to feed her 3-year-old son Nathanial and her 8-year-old daughter Monica.
Over the past year, the classes, hosted by food banks throughout Spokane County, attracted more than 9,000 people – including a number of seniors and younger adults experiencing tough times and even social isolation. The program is a collaboration between Washington State University Extension of Spokane County, which provides instructors and recipes, and Second Harvest, which provides food.
Ashley brought Nathaniel to a recent class, where they sampled a pasta recipe and received bread, juice, salad and other food. Nathaniel was delighted with the box of colorful apples they received. The young mother got teary-eyed when she talked about the kindness the Food Sense instructors have shown to her family.
“Nathaniel loves Brandi and Rhonda (Food Sense instructors). I appreciate their help so much. They don’t know how much they impact my life.”
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