Food Bank Helps Family During Setback

Jun07

Eleven-year-old Christopher and his 8-year old sister, Sophia, are typical siblings who play together and talk over each other. At school, Sophia likes to do multiplication, division and write poems. Her brother likes to sketch and wants to be a teacher when he grows up.

Like other kids, they loved getting their favorite treats at the grocery store. More recently, their family has not been able to afford any extra treats and is barely getting by.

A financial crisis was not what the family was prepared for when they moved to Austin a couple of months ago from Denver City, Texas.

Living in a small town with a population of fewer than 5,000 made it hard for Mayra’s husband to find a steady job. When he was promised a job in Austin, the family jumped at the opportunity and relocated.

Unfortunately, the job offer fell through once they moved. Her husband was left without a job and no way to afford their new $1,300 two-bedroom apartment. The opportunity the family was looking forward to became a setback.

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To get by, her husband began taking up jobs here and there, but it wasn’t enough. The family had to tighten their budget.

“It was hard because you’re worried about your electricity getting cut off and I had never been through that. I was really worried. We were limited on the groceries, and I had to keep everything on a tight budget,” Mayra said. “If you spend $5 more than you’re supposed to then you can’t pay one of the bills, so it’s hard.”

The family had to cut all extra expenses. It meant the family couldn’t go out to the park, because they couldn’t afford the gas to make any extra trips. It meant the family’s eating habits suffered as they cut pricier fresh produce from their diets and could only afford the basics, like rice and beans.

Mayra learned about one of the Food Bank’s Partner Agencies, Covenant Food Pantry, from a friend and began visiting weekly. At the food pantry, the family gets fresh produce, cereal, bread, rice, beans, sweet peas, milk, protein and everything Myra needs to make a complete meal.

Thanks to the Food Bank, her family is also eating healthier with more vegetables and fruits in their diet.

“I would like to give a big thanks,” Mayra said. “They have no idea what an impact they have on families. I never knew about this, I don’t have government assistance so this really, really helps…I tell my kids, it’s amazing that these people take time to help us without getting anything back. It’s a great thing and it’s beautiful.”

Summertime is hard for families like Mayra's. With kids out of school for the summer break, they no longer have access to free or reduced-price meals. Additionally, rising costs in utilities and gas put a strain on families’ budgets, with food often being sacrificed. But you can make a difference.

Thanks to a generous matching gift challenge from the Gates and Stumberg families your gift will be matched. That means that for every $1 donated, we can provide eight nutritious meals to families in need. Help us bring back the joys of summer and double your impact today!

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