Lee moved from Arizona to Minneapolis looking for a fresh start. He had no idea the help that was about to come his way.
Lee was homeless when he arrived and found a veterans program that helped get him into a shelter for six months. From there they helped him find housing and he later moved into a senior living complex in West St. Paul. This past June, he noticed lines of people across the street at St. Matthew’s Catholic Church and decided to investigate.
“I found out it was Loaves & Fishes,” Lee explained. “I didn’t have any money for food.”
Lee began stopping by every night of the week. Not only did he have a warm meal to count on, but he was able to get a winter coat and gloves.
The biggest blessing was that he was able to save enough money to buy a vehicle.
“It’s all because I’ve been eating over there every night,” said Lee. “It has helped immensely. The Loaves & Fishes volunteers are wonderful people and I know they are here for me. I don’t know what I would do without them.”
Lee also struggles with high blood pressure. He never expected a free meal to focus so much on health.
“The food is always wonderful. It comes with a fruit and a salad.”
Now that Lee has a vehicle, he tries to return the kindness shown to him by delivering meals to others. As he reflected on the past two years, even amidst a pandemic, he has trouble believing how things have turned around in his life since that move from Arizona.
“I am blessed and happy, I never expected to get this kind of help when I first got here.”