Stories

You may be surprised to see what hunger looks like today. Families that have never experienced hunger and poverty are facing empty pantries, and those on the margins who struggle to make ends meet have seen the barriers set before them grow insurmountable.

“I'm very proud to be a veteran, but to have protected freedom overseas and then come back home to struggle myself is very disheartening.”
Mark, Kentucky
“The food stamps we get aren’t enough to feed four people for a month. It makes me feel sad that my parents sometimes feed us kids and not themselves.”
John, Montana
“If sickness comes along, it can drain all your money in one day. That’s what happened to me.”
Barbara, New York City
“Eating better has really changed my life. I used to be on about eight medications. Now I'm only taking two pills.”
Joe, Montana
“Feeding my young grandson properly is the priority, so I have to find things that I know fill me up.”
Judith, Arizona
”Seniors should be able to live out the rest of their lives in their homes — to have things around them that are familiar. No matter how old we are, we always like to be a little independent, you know?”
Alex, New York
“We thought being in the military might be a way out of living paycheck to paycheck… I'm shocked that so many military families are standing in line at the food pantry because they really need help.”
Ashley, California
“I barely make ends meet. I don’t use the lights during the day, and I don’t buy as much food as I’d like.”
Maria, California
“I never imagined I’d get to this age and this would be my life... but if I could get $40 or $50 in food stamps, I could feed myself.”
Charles, Louisiana
“My mom doesn’t know it, but I quit baseball so she wouldn’t have to spend money on my uniform.”
Dylan, Kentucky
“We were one of those couples that purchased the house we could afford...”
Emery, Mississippi
“When my food stamps run out, it’s kinda scary not knowing if I'm gonna have any money to eat tomorrow.”
Mollie, Louisiana
“I never used to worry about taking care of myself. With prices the way they are, my $20 in food stamps doesn't buy much food.”
Norma Rose, Montana
"I make sure that my son eats and then I worry about myself. That’s just what a parent does. I take him to a lunch program to make sure he’s getting food."
Rhonda, Louisiana
Food is so expensive on the reservation, and our food stamps only last about two weeks. When they run out, I go out and sell beadwork really cheap, just so I can continue to feed my family.
Dorothy, South Dakota
“I had planned to work until I wasn’t able to anymore. I thought that after working hard all my life, I’d be living the good life now.”
Whitney, Mississippi
“I’m doing all I can and serving my country, and I have to worry about how I’m going to buy food?”
Gabriel, California

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