I’ve worked for the IRS, at a local hospital and at a Post Office. For several years, I drove a school bus in Crestwood, Ill. No matter what I did though, I couldn’t quite manage to make ends meet and save for retirement. Sure, I saved what I could. But most of my income went toward buying a house and keeping food on my table.

So when I retired at 74, though I’d worked for 56 years, I didn’t have the income I needed to buy food. After all, seniors have lots of expenses. Though I moved into a one-bedroom apartment, my only income was $853 a month in Social Security.

I couldn’t afford a diet of healthy, nutritious meals. At the grocery store, I would skip the fresh fruit and vegetable aisle — to me, produce was a luxury. Instead I would buy bread, milk, eggs, beans, rice and chicken, just the basics when I could.

I’m so glad I did. I remember the first time I went grocery shopping with my food stamps. I filled my cart with chicken, beef, eggs, milk, coffee, bacon, oatmeal, apples, bananas, orange juice, strawberries and grapes. I went home and stocked my freezer with the extra meat that I was now able to afford. That first month, I cooked a roasted chicken with dressing. I made spaghetti and meatballs. I bought fresh fish, not just canned tuna.