Sandra is a 55-year old grandmother, who is raising twin grandchildren. She works part time at a local nonprofit organization, but her wages are not enough to cover rent, utilities, clothing, and other expenses for the small family.
No car means that a trip to the grocery store, or anywhere for that matter, is often a two hour long ordeal in both directions. On a recent morning at a food collection event in Orlando, she approached a Second Harvest Food Bank staff person to ask about how she and the kids might get some food assistance.
“We’ve never had to ask before, this is the first time,” she said.
“We’re down to a couple of slices of bread in the apartment, and that’s all. I don’t get paid again for four more days.”
She shared that she had walked over a mile to the event when she saw that it was going to be held. After calling the Food Bank’s receptionist, Sandra was provided with information for two emergency food pantry programs that were nearby her apartment.
Before the sun set that day, she had been able to bring home six bags of basic food items for herself and her grandchildren. The agency that helped was one of more than 500 nonprofit feeding programs supplied with food throughout Second Harvest’s six-county service area.