James, the country guy and Patricia, the city girl. After almost 50 years of marriage, he’s quick to correct his wife when she calls him a cowboy. He’s not a cowboy; he’s a bull rider. He doesn’t ride a horse. He rides an F-150, he explains laughing.
As they look back on their life together, they can’t complain.
At an early age, Patricia discovered her gift: her voice. After listening to her at church one day, Berry Gordy of Motown Records wanted to sign her to his record label. Unfortunately, her aunt didn’t allow it.
Once she turned 18, she signed with the label and toured the world.
She finally left the road to settle down and start a family with James.
With four children to take care of, James was working hard to make his mark in Austin. Literally.
“I am the person that placed the concrete around the Capitol. Anywhere you walk on the grounds of the Capitol, you’re walking on my work,” James said. “I’m proud of the work that I’ve done here.”
With the money he earned with his company, Sweet Concrete Construction, the family lived comfortably. He made enough to pay the bills on time, have fun with his family and send his children to college.
Then misfortune hit the couple. After being able to have three vehicles at one point in their lives, they were left with none.
When Patricia had a heart attack, James’ priority was taking care of his wife. His business took a plunge.
“My little business went down the drain, all my savings went down the drain, and I found myself almost down the drain,” James said.
Just as his wife was finally getting on her feet, the family suffered another setback.
Unable to stand for too long, James went to the doctor where he was misdiagnosed with a toe problem and underwent surgery that made his situation worse. His post-surgery bandaged foot was hiding a creeping condition.
“When they unwrapped my feet, they unwrapped gangrene and I couldn’t believe that,” James said. “I ended up losing half of my right foot, two toes on my right foot. I almost died.”
Unable to work and left without any savings, the couple has no choice but to rely on their Social Security Income and the less than $20 a month of food stamps to make it through the month.
“I made $100,000 dollars a year, working for myself, taking care of my family, and now I’m here sitting on a little old social security check that’s just enough to pay the rent, pay the light bill, then it’s gone,” James said.
Their fixed income isn’t enough to cover their medical expenses and bills, but thanks to the Food Bank Bank’s Healthy Options Program for the Elderly, they can worry less about what they’re going to eat.
Through the program focused on assisting older clients who need additional assistance with groceries, they receive 20 to 30 pounds of nutritious shelf-stable groceries each month to supplement their diet.
For Patricia, the grape juice is the favorite item she receives, but the rice, beans, canned corn, and canned fruit go a long way for her family.
“We really appreciate what you give us; it might not sound much to many people, but it’s a lot to someone who doesn’t have much. Thank you,” Patricia said.
