At 7:00 A.M. on a Tuesday, Martha claimed her spot at the Capital Area Food Bank Allison Elementary School mobile food pantry site along with other area residents.
Although the distribution doesn’t begin until 9:00 A.M., she has to take advantage of the opportunity to receive food assistance. Working full-time at a local grocery store, Martha doesn’t always have the same work schedule, which could jeopardize her chance to receive food.
Martha calls it a blessing when she happens to be off on a day of a food distribution.
“I have to work to provide for myself and my children, and sometimes that means not making it for food,” Martha said.
Martha is a single mom raising four children between the ages of 1 and 13 years old, a scenario she said she never imagined for herself. However, Martha said she is doing everything to support her family.
“My children are young, and they need me,” Martha said.
But the challenges Martha faces are ones many single parents face in Central Texas. Nearly 30 percent of the poverty rate in Texas is made up of single-parent families.
Between low wages and insufficient child care, families like Martha have a limited income to cover all necessary expenses, which, more often than not, includes food.
Martha said she is fortunate to have a mother who can care for her children when she’s in dire need. Outside child care is not an option, Martha said, because the cost could easily consume an entire paycheck. According to a report by the Austin Early Childhood Council, Travis County has the most expensive child care in the state of Texas.
And while many organizations offer assistance, child care programs for low-income families often have a wait list and would be an added expense Martha may not afford.
Our mobile food pantry helps Martha feed her children nutritious food and frees up her budget for other necessities, such as rent and utilities.
“My children enjoy everything we get, and they love when I come home with bags full of food from the Food Bank,” Martha said.
