LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With a fridge now stocked with hams, pickles, and pulled pork, these were all items David Patterson didn't have a month ago.
"It was hopeless. I felt like I was falling through the cracks," Patterson said.
The local Navy veteran says he went nearly a week in April without anything to eat. Since being diagnosed with kidney failure, he's unable to grab groceries or leave his second floor apartment.
"It's Mount Kilimanjaro for me to get from up and down the steps," Patterson said.
While going hungry, he says he called several organizations and veterans affairs for assistance — but nothing was done.
"I screamed but my screams just fell on deaf ears," Patterson said. "I felt like I wasn't getting the help I thought I should be getting."
Clinical Dietician Noreen Young says that's because he wasn't a part of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Based Primary Care Program. But once Young heard about Patterson's situation, she quickly ran to UofL Hospital's new food pantry.
"I got a couple packs of groceries and drove them to his home and made sure he had something to eat that day," she said.
Though Patterson was grateful, he says it was a temporary fix.
"I felt like 'Well I got food for 2-3 days' but I'd like to think a little further than 2-3 days in advance," he said. "What I'm going to do after 2-3 days?"
Since then, Young says she's been working with Dr. Belinda Setters to find long-term solutions. They're planning to team up with organizations to deliver prepared meals to homes and are urging the public to donate to the V.A. Pantry.
Please click here for more information on how to donate or contact the Voluntary Service Office at (502) 287-6221.
"We recognize we have a lot of room to grow and do better, but I think this is a good first step to moving us toward where we want to be," Setters said.
And ultimately making sure no other veteran is left behind.
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