Rate this transcript (CTRL + click):

poor excellent

In Depth Interview
Sheila Perez
January 31, 2020

Interviewer: How long have you been coming to the food pantry here?

Respondent: This is our fourth time in probably eight months to a year.

Interviewer: So over the past year, you’ve come about four times and this is your family here?

Respondent: Yes and I have a couple more at the house. We have more adults and more
children.

Interviewer: How many total people are you supporting?

Respondent: Six.

Interviewer: Age range, you have another adult and another child. How old are your kids, if you
don’t mind me asking?

Respondent: These are our grandchildren.

Interviewer: You don’t look like they could be your grandchildren. That’s pretty amazing.

Respondent: Thank you. My oldest is 12 and my youngest is six.

Interviewer: How does the food you get here help you guys?

Respondent: Amazingly, I’ve become disabled to work. I can’t work and I may get money at one
point.

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

The only transcription company with ListenLinkTM!
Interviewer: Are you on disability now?

Respondent: Actually, no. I’ve been applying since 2012.

Interviewer: It’s a long process.

Respondent: I was recently diagnosed with something I’ll start thinking might not get me there
but that’s the sad part.

Interviewer: That’s sad. You haven’t been able to work but you’ve tried to provide food for the
family of six so your grand kids and –

Respondent: My daughter.

Interviewer: Your daughter.

Respondent: I stay home and I basically take care of the grandchildren. Take it to and from
school, cooking and cleaning. I was a hair stylist.

Interviewer: Oh my goodness.

Respondent: I had my license for 38 years. I was in the business for 35 years and then, I shut for
five years. I’m diabetic due to surgery. They took out my pancreas, my spleen and
some muscle and autoimmune disorder and then, two and half feet of my large
intestine.

Interviewer: Oh my God.

Respondent: The side effects from medication in that made me diabetic.

Interviewer: It’s got to be hard to work. Are you in a lot of pain or not?

Respondent: Yes, they found dozens of rare cysts that I carried in my body. They’re already
using oncology doctors because it had tried to start going into cancer. Then, I had
to have a hysterectomy due to that and they didn’t place me with hormone
replacement because of my high risk of cancer so I had to go through a lot of that
myself but the further I go, some of that wanes off and not as bad but I usually get
sick to my stomach quite a bit. I have internal bleeding from the cyst.

Interviewer: I don’t know how you’re not on disability.

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 2 of 7
Respondent: They told me I can pass away at any moment and we actually believe I had a heart
attack last week.

Interviewer: Oh my God.

Respondent: I go to my doctor Tuesday to make sure because I can’t go to a lot of emergency

rooms.

Interviewer: Too expensive.

Respondent: Yes, I knew enough of what to do and it was scary but I have a great doctor now
and he taught me how to use my insulin. He’s educating.

Interviewer: So you’re an insulin dependent diabetic.

Respondent: I do injections.

Interviewer: That’s not cheap either.

Respondent: It was a $1,500.00 bill but my husband luckily has insurance but then, that takes
away from his pay considerably.

Interviewer: So on his income alone is pretty much what you guys are trying to live on with six
people.

Respondent: Yes, my daughter is working three days a week. They have to become fully
dependent sometimes and so they like to keep someone with me.

Interviewer: To keep you safe and make sure nothing happens.

Respondent: Yes.

Interviewer: What is the favorite thing that you guys are able to get from here like favorite
food? Is there anything that really just feel like “I’m so glad I can get that,” or is it
just any of it like with your diabetes, all of it –

Respondent: All of it is appreciated but it does place me on a point especially now, they have
me on four high blood pressure medicines so now, I’m not quite sure really what to
eat anymore but what I try to do is stay with protein and vegetables, nothing more,

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 3 of 7
 nothing packaged and then, I’m educating myself that milk has sugar in it. I didn’t
know. Bean is half protein and carbohydrate. I’ve lost all my teeth except for
eight.

Interviewer: From all the illnesses.

Respondent: So now, I’m looking for help on my –

Interviewer: [This whole]?

Respondent: Because at some point, that could be harmful to me if I’m not able to eat what I
need to eat for my diabetes and my cholesterol is like 1500. I don’t eat a lot. This
is water. It’s just that I got hit but I think God placed me in this position and I
became ordained and I do a lot of work with groups online.

Interviewer: Helping other people.

Respondent: A lot of prayer groups and I do a lot of help with what I can in the family when
they’re ill so I feel like –

Interviewer: Your support system is just a different kind of support.

Respondent: Yes.

Interviewer: That’s how you give back. That’s awesome.

Respondent: I feel like He’s using me as a vessel so I pray to Him and tell Him whatever He
needs me to do.

Interviewer: You look amazing. I would have not thought you were a grandparent first off.

Respondent: Yes, I don’t stay down. I try not to.

Interviewer: It looks like you’ve got support here.

Respondent: I’ve got a support system.

Interviewer: You do.

Respondent: Him and I are celebrating – how many, 35?

Interviewer: Really?

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 4 of 7
Respondent: High school sweethearts.

Interviewer: You have just one daughter?

Respondent: Our daughter is our youngest and then, we have two boys.

Interviewer: That is around in the house?

Respondent: Yes, seven grandchildren.

Interviewer: Oh my goodness, did you come here for the holidays? Did you get the holiday meal
here or no?

Respondent: Actually, no. I went to a pantry there in Carolton.

Interviewer: Okay, did they help you out for the holidays?

Respondent: Yes.

Interviewer: Great.

Respondent: We were always used to me doing the dinners because –

Interviewer: You were always at the house.

Respondent: I was the chef.

Interviewer: Are you having to teach other people to cook now?

Respondent: Yes, because unfortunately I’ve lost all of my biological family except for my
nieces and nephews and so I’m like their Mom right now.

Interviewer: There you go, emotional support.

Respondent: They’re young. The oldest one just turned 41 yesterday and the others are
younger.

Interviewer: Did you do the cooking?

Respondent: Yes.

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 5 of 7
Interviewer: Awesome, how many people did you have?

Respondent: We had my niece’s family, two kids, two adults and then, my nephew, his wife and
his daughter.

Interviewer: Wow, it’s a big household full of people.

Respondent: Then us and now, we’re here on an emergency basis for clothes for the little ones.

Interviewer: You’ve got some time today?

Respondent: Not yet, I don’t know how that really works.

Interviewer: What they were telling us when we did is that you go there first and then, you go to
the food line I think after that. You get so many times when it’s to shop.

Respondent So when they call my number, I’ll go there?

Interviewer: I think you’ll go up there and they’ll tell you what to do but what they were telling
us is that you go there and then, here. Once you go through here, you go to the end
and then, you go get your food outside, the meats and all that kind of stuff.

Respondent: Yes, because they’re running short on –

Interviewer: There is some good clothes right there.

Respondent: - cold weather clothes.

Interviewer: There are coats back there and other stuff. You see the gentleman in the North
Texas Food Bank, that’s Mr. John. In a little bit, I’m going to send him over when
you all get up to take some photos of your family. I might even put you all here on
that corner and he might just be able to come over here. Thank you so much.

Respondent: Thank you.

Female: What is your name?

Interviewer: Autumn, like the season.

Respondent: Beautiful.

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 6 of 7
 - End of Recording -

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 7 of 7