For families facing hardship and hunger, Thanksgiving and the holiday season are already stressful. But when tragedy strikes, the stress is overwhelming.
Montrelle and Josh moved to Oklahoma, along with their four children, two years ago to be closer to Montrelle’s mother and sister. Shortly after they arrived, however, her mother and sister both passed away.
“Josh wasn’t working yet,” Montrelle says. “We ended up homeless for six months while he looked for work. Food prices were going up at the same time, and then it got worse when someone stole my food-stamps card. It was really hard to provide good meals for our kids.”
Thankfully, last November, Josh found out about the Regional Food Bank Food & Resource Center, just in time for Thanksgiving. They’ve continued to depend on the food pantry as they try to rebuild their lives.
“I’m pregnant and can’t work right now,” Montrelle explains. “And Josh is still looking for work. This food pantry helps us stretch out our food a bit more, especially for the kids. The baby food we get here is really helpful, and so are snacks for the kids! They run through those. We couldn’t afford them otherwise.”
This holiday season, they both see a light in the darkness. “I’m planning to go back to school to study phlebotomy, and Josh wants to become a chef,” Montrelle says. “Right now, we’re just so grateful for all the people who support our food pantry. This really helps us out a lot.”
Families like Montrelle’s need our help this Thanksgiving. Thank you for providing them with food and hope.
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