In our bustling thrift store, among the racks of pre-loved clothes and shelves of household goods, Patricia caught sight of a familiar face while browsing around during her lunch break. Byron, a man in his sixties with gentle eyes and an intense expression, perused the men’s section. He examined a dark blue jacket, then moved on to a pair of gray slacks.

I’m sorry, but we can’t keep you on…” Those are words no one wants to hear. For Willis,* who was already struggling financially with rising medical costs, this news hit especially hard. As a veteran, Willis was always determined to keep pressing on. He wanted to find a new job, but beyond temporary work, nothing came through.

In the heart of our small town stands a local, humble convenience store. Its owner, Orlando,* is a man quietly dedicated to this community. He believes in helping others and understands the importance of making all his customers feel welcome. One spring afternoon, Orlando was behind the counter, organizing shelves and attending to customers when a familiar face walked in. It was Karl, our food pantry associate. Orlando recognized Karl as a regular customer, and this day he noticed that Karl was wearing an Ashure Ministry shirt.

When Sheree, mother of two teenagers, arrived in our lobby, she was warmly greeted by Tamara, our front desk receptionist. Sheree told Tamara she was embarrassed to say that she and her family needed food assistance. Tamara told her that she would begin her application so that she and her family could get the food they needed. 

As the cold morning chill seeped through the windows of his modest home, John, a recent widower, sat down and found himself confronted by the harsh reality of overcoming his grief, managing medical bills, and several past-due notices. John was going through a lot with the loss of his wife…

A sudden job loss is never easy, but when Bethany found herself facing this challenge with two children relying on her, she knew she had to do whatever it took to protect them, even if it meant making some tough decisions. Earlier this year, she encountered one of her hardest choices yet.

"It's hard to believe I'll get through this . . ." Liv thought to herself. She never imagined her 70’s would look this way. She came to Ashure Ministry desperate. It all began when she was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease that required dialysis treatments three times a week. To make things easier, she and her husband Gregg decided to get an apartment closer to the dialysis center…

At the age of 62, Meg had worked as a nurse for 30 years. She endured an injury that took her ability to serve as a nurse from her. Dependent solely on social security income for the first time, she found herself facing new limitations and patterns at the end of each month that often resulted in choosing between buying food or paying her bills.

Leslie's journey to ECCCM began amid a series of traumatic events that left her grappling with possible homelessness. “It just feels like I can't handle all of this on my own,” shared Leslie.

Ava and Everett felt very fortunate to have secured jobs at the same manufacturing company. It was a first for them to work together. With the company's excellent benefits, they would now have much-needed health insurance. This was great primarily because their children had medical needs, and those costs had caused a large amount of debt.

Mark* is a single father with two young children living at home. Recently, he was in a terrible accident that left him paralyzed. Thankfully, Mark’s mother, Renée,* lived nearby and was willing to move in and help her son and his children. With her help, they could remain at home and keep their routine as much the same as possible. 

Jamie* arrived at ECCCM three months after her last cancer treatment. “Cancer made it hard for me to work,” she said. “I am trying to get back on my feet. I am even working two jobs, but I just can’t seem to get ahead.”

A single mother of five children, Miley recently lost her youngest child. He was tragically hit by a car at their home. Understandably, Miley struggled with severe depression and panic attacks. Miley came to ECCCM and met with Keely, case manager.