Lou Stubbs grew up knowing he was different than his suburban classmates.
He lived on the outskirts of the city in a home without an indoor bathroom. He and his siblings survived on ham, potato, and string bean dinners while being raised by an alcoholic father suffering from PTSD.
When he was 12, the state removed the children from their father’s care. He remembers sitting in the back of a car being handed his baby sister and told to quiet her down.
“The other kids came to me, and I had to get over it real quick,” Lou says. “At that point, I was the father figure.”
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Within weeks of leaving their home, Lou’s three sisters were put in foster care while the three boys were moved to the Children’s Home of York.
Looking back, he didn’t mind the home. It gave him a safe space to live while teaching him trades that he used in the U.S. Army for 23 years and as a maintenance man later in life.
I can sit around the house all day long and watch TV until I go blind, but I’d rather be busy.
When it came time for him to retire, Lou figured he could put his skills as a handyman to good use.
“I can sit around the house all day long and watch TV until I go blind, but I’d rather be busy,” Lou says. “If there’s something I can do to help, I wanted to do it.”
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In 2016, Lou was helping pack boxes at the York County Food Bank when he overheard some of the maintenance work that needed to be done.
He jumped on the opportunity to help, fixing the plumbing, installing lights, and driving a forklift.
Lou continues to volunteer with the food bank today because of what it provides people facing situations like he did growing up.
“When I was younger and we needed stuff, there wasn’t something like this around to assist you,” Lou says. “People in bad situations need support from those who have the desire and ability to help, and I’m glad I can do the work.”
Click here to learn more about York County Food Bank
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