Newton resident Meagan Waltner used to wait until her two children ate to eat. If there were leftovers, she ate something. If not, she didn’t. That was around 2009, when she raised two kids as a single mom. What’s going on with the economy now reminds her of what it was like then. Now, her children are grown, and one lives at home. She’s having trouble making ends meet. “I’m working right now,” she said. “I’m not getting as many clients as I need, so things are really tight.” She’s a therapist at a group practice and is self-employed. Sometimes, she goes to bed hungry. “I hope to get back to where I need to be,” she said about her economic status. “I have a feeling a lot of people are experiencing that.” They are. Bills are going up, but paychecks are not.
That’s one of the reasons Salvation Army of Harvey County Case Manager Tisha Green attributes to more people getting food from their Harvest of Love Food Pantry.
Read more: Harvey County Now
