For Rachel, weekly visits to the SouthPark Mall Food Pantry, operated by River Bend Food Bank, are a whole family outing. She often brings her mother, Sonja, her good friend Adrian and her two young daughters, 10-month-old Rylynne and 3-year-old Angel.
Angel is a big helper to her mom on food pantry days. She pushes a toy shopping cart alongside her mother to help carry the foods their family needs, like eggs, vegetables, and bread. But she always makes sure to grab her all-time-favorite: peanut butter!
The SouthPark Mall Food Pantry is a lifeline for families like Rachel’s. She receives WIC benefits to help supplement her grocery bill, but the amount of financial assistance she receives has dwindled due to recent cuts to government funding. As a mom, Rachel is terrified at the thought of not being able to keep her daughters fed.
“I don’t know how I’d be able to get any of this stuff at all,” she says.
Thankfully, with the uplifting support of friends like you, she doesn’t have to worry. Every time they show up at their local food pantry, they know they’ll be okay.
To friends like you who give, Rachel shares her heartfelt thanks.
“Thank you so much!” Rachel says. “This is much needed for lots of people. I mean, how much you help and give everyone enough food to replenish their fridges or pantries is amazing.”
Thank you for helping families like Rachel’s access the foods they need this summer and beyond.