Every day, one in eight Central Florida neighbors—and one in six kids—faces hunger. Amy is one of them.
Becoming a mother is a significant milestone for Amy. She stepped away from her career as a professional chef to stay at home and raise her son. When her boyfriend lost his job, Amy sought ways to stretch their budget without compromising nutrition. She discovered a food pantry supported by Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.
“It’s those little things that help us get the day by, get the month by,” Amy says.
Watch how a local food pantry helped Amy provide nutritious food for her family when times got tough.
The pantry operates like a small market where neighbors can select from shelf-stable items, fresh produce, bread, meat and dairy to take home. Amy raves about the high-quality produce, meat and non-perishable items available, providing a sense of relief that she doesn’t have to sacrifice nutrition while her family gets back on their feet financially.
“On the inside, I know it’s not me buying it, but at the same time, it’s like, hey, I’m providing for my family,” says Amy.
Amy relies on her culinary arts background to help her plan meals with the groceries she brings home from the pantry. She often uses rice and beans as a base and gets meal inspiration from the fresh produce. On a recent visit, she chose ingredients to complement the potatoes she had left over from the previous week.
“One thing I’ve learned as a mother is that it takes a village to raise a village,” Amy says to express her gratitude for the volunteers, food donors and community supporting her and her family with the nutritious food they need to thrive.
“Things are definitely getting better,” Amy says with a smile.
Your support provides meals and hope.
$10 = 40 meals
