With a household of five relying on her, Ramona has always worked hard, juggling the many responsibilities of motherhood alongside her job at a big box store.
Her paycheque was just enough to pay the bills, buy clothes for her growing kids, and keep food on their table.
But like so many other families living close to poverty, Ramona’s world was turned upside down by COVID-19. She was forced to step back from her job when the schools and daycares shut down with almost no warning. With no relatives nearby to help, she had no choice but to stay home.
“I had to take care of my children,” she says. Ramona didn’t have savings to rely on. The very first week she went without a paycheque, she faced a terrible situation. She just wouldn’t have enough to keep her rent paid, her heat on (in the dead of winter), and groceries in the fridge. She was so worried for her kids. Not only were they missing out on school, but they were also going without the food programs that provided nutritious snacks and meals during the school day.
But thanks to your generosity, Ramona and her family found the fresh food and hope they needed at their local food bank. Ramona remembers how her stress and worry were lifted the moment she was greeted with a smile.
“They’re great. Their hospitality is amazing,” she says of the food bank staff and volunteers. She especially liked the flexibility to request the foods that worked best for her family. “You have the freedom to ask for what you need, so it meant I could getmy kids’ favourites.”
Ramona knows that there are so many families going through the same kind of struggles as hers right now. She’s keenly aware that hunger can happen to anyone in the blink of an eye. And she’s so grateful for generous neighbours like you, who’ve kept families like hers nourished and supported during the COVID-19 crisis.
“Thank you! And please keep donating, because people really need it right now!”
