When the fridge is empty and the shelves are bare, and there’s no money left for a run to the grocery store, it’s a hard place to be.
“Not being able to have food in the house is a real strain,” says Leslea. “You feel worthless. It feels like you’re not doing enough and that other people are better than you.”
Leslea and her husband, Bobby, often struggle to make ends meet. She’s a former pharmacy tech who has been on disability and out of work for about 10 years. He’s the office manager at Hand Up Ministries, which helps former inmates find housing, employment and resources.
Once incarcerated himself, Bobby knows how hard it is for the recently released.
“Most guys when they come out of prison, they’re given less than $50,” he says. “You’ve got court costs, you’ve got to get an ID, you need food and a phone ... it’s very difficult.”
Bobby and Leslea had SNAP benefits for a while, but got cut off “because we made $12 too much,” he says. For a household of two, the maximum gross monthly income to qualify for SNAP is $1,726.
Finding the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma Food & Resource Center has made a world of difference. Leslea goes there once a month and fills a grocery cart with the food and goods they need.
“If we didn’t have this resource,” says Bobby, “absolutely we would struggle.”
Leslea says the staff and volunteers at the Regional Food Bank FRC make her feel right at home. “It’s very inviting,” she says. “They’re very kind and they’re always looking for ways they can help people.”
“We try and make it as easy as possible for these individuals to come in and feel that sense of hope,” says Skyler Parker, former director of the Regional Food Bank FRC. “They walk in, they see a smiling face, they see someone wanting to help, man what a great first step to start getting back on your feet. And when they leave with that basket full of food, they’re so happy.”
Skyler says your gifts make it happen.
“Without donors, we’re not able to even operate,” he says. “It takes many of us working together to make sure we can stabilize these families.
Your support helps Oklahoma seniors like Leslea and Bobby. Please consider another gift today.