In 1969, Eugene moved to Austin from New Orleans to begin his training in the Air Force. Serving for 26 years before retiring, he was among the last to train at the Bergstrom Air Force Base, which we now know as the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. In 2020, he began to visit his local Mobile Food Pantry to pick up food for his wife and friends. Thanks to the help he gets from the Central Texas Food Bank, he is able to save money for his family’s expenses and help support his friends.
During his service in the Air Force, Eugene had the opportunity to travel internationally, live in different countries and learn local languages to communicate with the local residents. “It was a great experience because I got to travel all over the world,” Eugene shares.
Serving in wartime was a unique and unforgettable experience for Eugene. “To experience war is really unbelievable,” Eugene says. He recalls how challenging it was for many of his fellow Airmen to adjust to life after service and the hardships they faced together. “It's tough to move on. I don’t expect many people to want to go through the things we experience,” Eugene recalls.
He feels fortunate to be able to help his friends and community by gathering nutritious food from the Central Texas Food Bank and saving money. “If I go to the grocery store and buy two small bags, I would come out spending sixty or seventy dollars; it's too much,” Eugene says. Eugene's biggest concern is having to cut back on certain things to be able to buy food. He knows some of his friends have to cut back on their medicine, so he goes out of his way to pick up food for others when they need support. “I love to help my people, I do; I have always helped others when I can,” Eugene says.
Thanks to the Central Texas Food Bank, Eugene has access to healthy food he can use to cook meals for his loved ones. “It’s a lot of healthy food,” he explains. “That’s what’s so great about it.” He enjoys preparing chicken in different ways to keep it exciting, trying different recipes all the time. . “I’m so blessed [the Central Texas Food Bank] can help and provides this for seniors and the people in need.”
