It is a warm, sunny day. A line for the Foodbank’s pop-up pantry begins to form half an hour before the distribution is scheduled to start. Raeana stands in line with her 1-year-old daughter Santiana on her hip.
Raeana is a single mom of four. Increased prices for groceries have strained her family’s budget, so she visits local food distributions to help make ends meet.
“The price of food has gone up and it's really hard. You spend so much at the grocery store now, and you don't get that much for how much you spend,” Raeana says. “And I have four kids, I'm a single mom, so it's really hard. But these pop-ups really help out.”
Raeana works as a housekeeper to support her family. She mentions the difficulties of being a working mom with a baby. Daycare is expensive and finding a babysitter can be challenging. But she does whatever it takes to ensure her family has a roof over their heads and food on the table, like finding rides from neighbors and friends to food programs since her car broke down.
To community members who support the Foodbank and hunger relief, Raeana says, “Thank you so much. You are so appreciated.”