“We begged, we borrowed, we struggled.”
That’s how Sheena provided for her three children for several months when she did not have access to work or a vehicle. The Miller County resident has since secured a job and last month was able to drive to Rocky Mount food pantry to stock up on groceries.
“This will really help me stretch my check,” she said, adding that she is making minimum wage.
The Rocky Mount Church pantry is up and running in a new building after operating out of the church basement for nearly two decades. The new building, made possible through a grant and numerous
in-kind donations, opened this past summer. Pastor Dan Duckworth and his wife Marilyn are serving about 2,000 people every month.
Another client, Mable, relies on the pantry monthly. Her husband is a retired concrete worker and she raised five children. The couple now lives on Social Security.
Mable stressed that nothing she picks up from the pantry is wasted.
“We use everything we get here,” she said during her March visit. When asked what she would do without it, she said the couple would "skimp."
Mable said she appreciates those who are in a position to donate to make The Food Bank possible.
“Thank you,” Sheena agreed. “This is a massive help.”