“Help, I am hungry and can’t find any place open for food.”

At the Regional Food Bank, we’ve heard variations on that plea thousands of times over the decades. But in recent years, we see it more often on our social media pages, particularly Facebook.

Debra, a senior on a limited income, left that very message for us online, and we responded right away. We learned that Debra had lost all of the food in her refrigerator and freezer during a power outage. She had spent all of her SNAP benefits replacing the ruined food, and was down to eating single cans of vegetables for meals when she messaged us.

The Regional Food Bank’s new home delivery service took a box of shelf-stable food to Debra the next morning. We also connected her with local pantries for more food.

“Thank you so very much,” Debra says. “This is such a big help!”

Debra is hardly alone in reaching out to us online. Gina wrote on our Facebook page: “I have never needed assistance with food, but I now need it for me and my three children. How does this work?” Regional Food Bank staff connected her with nearby partner agencies to provide nutritious food for her family.

We always respond ASAP. But we’re not alone in this social media thing. The Regional Food Bank relies on friends like you to help spread the word by sharing our posts. You never know when one of your shares might reach someone in need of food — perhaps even a friend or a neighbor.

Thank you not only for your support, but for helping to spread the word about the Regional Food Bank — even through social media.

Next story: School’s Out… But Food’s In!