Many families are only a paycheck or two from falling into poverty and hunger. Marissa understands that her family is one of those.
Marissa is a stay-at-home mom with two young boys of her own, and she often cares for her two stepdaughters. Her husband works on the road and is out of town during the week. For Marissa, summer meal boxes offer an added sense of stability, convenience and preparedness.
“I look around and it seems like food insecurity is at an all-time high, even for families that have never struggled before,” she says. “This summer, we’re OK for right now, but if everything goes south, it’s going to be tough. And I don’t want my family to be completely dependent on others for food.”
The Regional Food Bank distributes grab-and-go boxes of food through the Norman Smith Memorial Library in Hinton, which is near Marissa’s home. Every 10 days, her children receive enough boxes of food to last two weeks.
“These food boxes are really helpful and have saved us money,” Marissa says. “I like the security of knowing we have this food, and my kids love the cereal. They even love the vegetable cups, which is great!”
Marissa often stores the shelf-stable items in her pantry for leaner times, or so she can share them with friends who might need an extra hand one month.
“Folks who support the food bank are helping families like mine and our community,” she adds.
Marissa is grateful for your help — and we are too!