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Guest Story 9: Charles

Charles is an executive for a large corporation with a husband and two children. He owns a brand new house, has two cars, and both his kids are in private school. One day, his corporation downsizes, and Charles is laid off. Finding work isn’t easy. The family savings starts to dwindle.

Charles sells one of the cars, but keep the minivan. His husband starts working at a temp agency but it doesn’t pay much. The kids are moved from private school to public school, but it’s not enough. Debts mount rapidly. The bank forecloses on the house, and the family has to move.

Charles and his family stay with his brother, but space is very cramped. When he’s offered a job on a contract basis, he accepts right away. But because it’s a contract job, it doesn’t include health insurance.

The family moves into a small apartment near the kids’ school. Contract work is sporadic and money is still very tight. It gets harder and harder to put food on the table. Everyone is tired of eating nothing but pasta,  but it’s all they can afford. One day, Charles remembers his old neighbor used to volunteer at a place called nourish.NJ. He’s embarrassed to ask for help, but decides to try anyway.

At nourish.NJ Charles is welcomed, no questions asked, and given a delicious hot meal. He’s amazed at how much food there is. The staff gives him bags of groceries, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, cereal and snacks for the kids. They tell him to bring the kids next time he comes. Charles thinks he will…

nourish.NJ's Hunger Walk 2020 Audio Tour
  1. Introduction from Executive Director Terry Connolly
  2. Guest Story 1: Carlos
  3. Guest Story 2: Arturo & Maria
  4. Guest Story 3: Edith and Herb
  5. Guest Story 4: Rolf
  6. Guest Story 5: Essential Workers
  7. Guest Story 6: Molly
  8. Guest Story 7: Isabelle
  9. Guest Story 8: Abigail & Rachel
  10. Guest Story 9: Charles
  11. Guest Story 10: Tommy
  12. Guest Story 11: Richard
  13. Guest Story 12: Roger
  14. Guest Story 13: George
  15. Guest Story 14: Madeline
  16. Guest Story 15: Nathan & Oscar
  17. Conclusion