Impact Stories

Trish And Jake

Fort Washakie, Wyoming

"Feeding our kids hasn't always been easy," Jake said. "When you're hit financially, you're just without and there's nothing more scary than when you've got to figure out how to feed your kids." The couple is proud of the strength it's taken to work through those difficult times. With Jake previously out of work, the family bravely turned to a food pantry on the reservation to help make ends meet.Still, Jake, Trish and their family choose happiness.They recently agreed to foster a 5-month-old girl, and Jake volunteers at the food distribution where the family also receives groceries. "We haven't celebrated Christmas the last few years because it's been financially too hard, but this year we were able to," Trish said. "We were able to celebrate. We try to teach our children to be thankful for everything," Trish said. "The food distribution in December helped tremendously. The holidays are difficult financially. It's tough for everyone because there's bills, gifts. The meals provided food for our family. I'm thankful for that," said Trish.

Sally

Madison Heights,Virginia

Sally Latimer, the co-director of the pantry, joined the organization in 2018 as a way to give back to her tribe. She also knows what it's like to be hungry. After her husband passed away a decade ago, she became the sole provider for her family. As co-director, Sally has found ways to reach her community where they are. She and the staff deliver groceries if someone is sick or doesn't have a car, and they call clients every week to check in and confirm appointments. They hold dinners for elders and hope to start a hot meals delivery program for low-income neighborhoods. Sally and her staff want to provide better quality foods to their community. Fruits, vegetables, and meats are the most common request, she said. Recently, they planted a garden and plan to distribute fruits and vegetables, including some traditional Monacan foods like Tutelo strawberry corn and amaranth. "Every time I hand a bag of food to someone, it's me giving back just a tiny bit of what was given to me," she said. "For me, there is no more perfect job."

Roberta

Waterloo, Iowa

As Roberta pulled up to the holiday food distribution at Northeast Iowa Food Bank the Monday before Thanksgiving, her 9-year-old son Elijah was sitting in the back seat, a computer on his lap, doing schoolwork. Meanwhile, her daughter, the bubbly, rambunctious 4-year-old Eliona, just wanted to charm the volunteers. "She loves being the center of attention," Roberta laughed as Eliona popped out of the car, giggling and jumping around. Roberta has a career in home healthcare but needed a little extra help this year affording food for Thanksgiving. She knew the food bank would be there for her. "This is going to help a lot," she said as volunteers loaded bags of holiday food – including ham and sides – into her trunk. "We'll have this for the holiday, and then have leftovers for a while too." The food helps Roberta make the day special for her family, but she's focused on more than that. "It would be a normal day without this food," she said. "I'm grateful for the food and I'm just really thankful for all the blessings we have."