Patty Young has been a participant of HIP’s Senior Meal at the Lake City Community Center for the past five years, and a volunteer for the past six months. She loves the meals and the friends she has found there and is a faithful attendee and active volunteer. However, the road has not been easy for her. In June of 2017, Patty was diagnosed with throat cancer and had to take a hiatus from the meal, her new community, and much of her independence. With her diagnosis and subsequent treatment came a sense of exhaustion and isolation. Eating was understandably difficult, let alone cooking, and Patty had to live off soft foods for much of her recovery. She only recently began learning how to eat solid foods again, and one of the first meals she was able to eat was at the community center in the second half of last year. We have since been overjoyed to welcome her back and see her regaining strength every day! She has been a quiet example of strength and resiliency, and we are inspired by her resolve to keep giving time and energy to the causes that matter most. Hear more about her story below: