Shari, a senior on a fixed income, lives in Plum with her two boys. All but a dollar of the modest pension check she receives every month goes toward the family’s rent – a lease she is locked into until March of next year.
Her family’s tight finances often leave Shari feeling like having enough left for groceries is an impossible task. Her family relies on SNAP benefits to supplement their grocery budget. “It’s very tough to try to make ends meet and feed your family; extremely hard,” says Shari with tears in her eyes. “My family comes first. My bills come last.”
Now, as SNAP benefits have been lost for so many people, Shari is feeling the added stress brought on by the uncertainty of the government shutdown. To keep food on the table, Shari now turns to The Market, the Food Bank’s onsite pantry, where she picks up essentials like meat and vegetables. It’s a lifeline—but one she never imagined needing.
With the colder weather and holidays looming, Shari fears she won’t be able to keep her house warm or cook the traditional meal she enjoys preparing for her family. “I usually cook the turkey meals and invite my mother to my house. I can’t do that this year. I don’t have any means of getting a ham or a turkey.”
“I didn’t used to worry about coming here,” she adds. “I worried about going to local food banks. But now…now I have to come here. Because I just can’t make it.”