Food service work program helping mom to get life on track

It’s been a long road, but Joan has finally found herself on the right path thanks to help from an Operation Holiday partner.

“I don’t know how my potential is going to turn out, or my career, but I know I’m moving forward. It’s life. Life really happens,” she said.

“Life can be rough, but if you’re a survivor, don’t give up. You can turn it all around.”

Joan, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, survived an assault by the father of her two children while in her early 20s that left her in a coma, and led to a lengthy hospital stay. Last year, she secured a job where “the money was good, but I wasn’t very happy” working an overnight shift away from her children — until one day brought a decision.

“I came home one day, and my second-oldest wanted to commit suicide. I was like, ‘What is going on?’ I used to try to work overnight to be there for the family during the day, but I stopped all of that,” she said.

That crisis led Joan to discover that daughter had also survived an assault that she did not know about, and learning that, “I felt so broken. I was torn apart.”

In the year since, Joan said, that daughter has gone to live with another family member, while she and her older daughter have continued to live

with what she calls “our blended family,” with “an awesome partner” and his son too. The family has supported Joan as she left the job behind this year to enter Manna on Main Street’s ‘Common Grounds’ program, a free eight-week course which teaches kitchen skills to those looking to go into the food service industry.

“I told myself, ‘I’ve gotta complete this for me.’ I felt like, going back to cooking, that’s something I enjoy doing, that doesn’t really feel like work,” she said.

That program gave Joan the skills to secure a full-time job working in food service at a local hospital, and now “I’m excited for my career.”

“Food is art to me, and I wanted to bring something to the table. We were backed up on bills, I was out of work, we were backed up, backed up — it seems like we’re taking a step forward, but it seems like we’re still kind of a little behind,” she said.

That’s where Operation Holiday comes in.

Last year Operation Holiday raised over $122,000 to provide food and gifts for nearly 400 children and families in need across Berks, Chester and Montgomery Counties.

Joan said help from Operation Holiday would go a long way toward a happy holiday season: her eldest daughter is getting ready to search for colleges, the second-oldest is now working a part-time job, and her youngest is into “books, video games, Pokémon, art stuff, action figures, superheroes — he’s busy.”

She also appreciates the fresh start that Manna helped provide.

“You can always rebuild or elevate yourself, but you’ve gotta have your inner self that tells you, ‘Don’t give up’.”

“It took a long time until I got to this point. When you gain that spiritual strength, and gain that insight of life, and stay grounded, you can be more appreciative. I hope my story can help other people, and I hope it touches someone’s heart.”

Now in its 32nd year, Operation Holiday has served thousands of families throughout Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties, expanding its reach in recent years to include communities served by the Reading Eagle, The Times Herald, The Reporter, and Daily Local News.

More than $122,000 in donations last year provided food and gifts for 379 children and cash donations to 13 food pantries in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties.

This year, Operation Holiday has partnered with 22 agencies in the tri-county area. Agencies have referred 144 families with 375 children for gifts and food and an additional 34 families for food. The program is also assisting the eight families in Pottstown who lost their homes in a devastating explosion in May.

There is no overhead with Operation Holiday and all funds stay local. Funds are collected and audited in a non-profit foundation account managed by staff of MediaNews Group who volunteer their time.

Gift cards to area grocery stores are provided to each family for food, so that they can purchase the fixings for a holiday dinner as well as staples for the pantry. Weis Markets is a partner with Operation Holiday and has assisted with food purchases and gift cards.

Gift cards for every child in the program 16 years of age or younger are purchased through Boscov’s and distributed in partnership with the referring agencies so that families can purchase gifts of their choice.

Operation Holiday does not accept families who have not been referred by an agency.

Operation Holiday is funded solely by reader contributions. All contributions are tax deductible.

“It took a long time until I got to this point. When you gain that spiritual strength, and gain that insight of life, and stay grounded, you can be more appreciative. I hope my story can help other people, and I hope it touches someone’s heart.” — Joan

How to donate

Online donations are being accepted in a secure portal in partnership with TriCounty Community Network. Visit https://tcnetwork.org/ and click on the link for Operation Holiday.

Contributions can be mailed with checks payable to Operation Holiday to PO Box 1181, Pottstown PA 19464; The Reporter, 307 Derstine Ave., Lansdale PA 19446; Operation Holiday, 1440 Lacrosse Ave., Reading, PA 19607.

The names of all contributors are published in the participating newspapers as donations are received. Please note whether a contribution should be designated as anonymous or given in tribute or in memory of someone.