Dear Friend,
According to recent data from Feeding America, 1 in 11 older Americans are food insecure. These are neighbors who have worked hard, raised families, and helped build our community.
For older neighbors living on fixed incomes, every day can bring impossible decisions. Should they purchase their lifesaving medications or buy groceries for the week? Should they keep their heat on during cold nights or stock their pantry? No one — especially those who have given so much to our community over the years — should face such choices.
At Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank, we’re committed to ensuring our seniors have reliable access to nutritious food, and we need your support now more than ever. As you read through this edition of Food Matters, which focuses on senior hunger, I ask you to think about the older adults in your own life. Then consider making your most generous gift today to help provide nourishing meals to seniors in need.
Remember, every $1 you donate helps provide 2 meals to someone facing hunger. Your compassion and generosity make a real difference in the lives of our older neighbors.
Thank you!
Dan Maher
President and CEO
Food brings people together. It connects us to each other, to our past selves, and to the larger world around us.
Just ask Ms. Lam and Ms. Gong. Their shared experiences surrounding food brought them together and continue to foster their friendship — even though they live in entirely separate senior housing units!
Sadly, both women aren’t unfamiliar with food insecurity. It traces all the way back to their childhoods in Guangzhou, China.
“We grew up in a state of worry about food,” Ms. Gong says. “We rarely ate meat, and our meals mostly consisted of vegetables mixed into rice. We had to learn to eat less to make it through the day.”
Now in the U.S., as grocery prices remain high, Ms. Lam and Ms. Gong are still trying to overcome hunger. Their fixed incomes make it even harder to afford the foods they need.
So, when a neighbor guided Ms. Lam and Ms. Gong to their local food pantry, they weren’t sure what to expect.
But because friends like you give, Ms. Lam and Ms. Gong found reliable access to healthy, nourishing food at their local distribution.
“They provide everything that I need, and I can easily use Cantonese ingredients to make dishes that I like,” Ms. Lam says.
“Having access to food pantries like this is a relief,” Ms. Gong adds. “Our lives have changed significantly.”
That’s exactly what your generosity provides: relief. With your kindness, we can ensure senior neighbors like Ms. Lam and Ms. Gong have the foods they need to thrive.
Ms. Lam and Ms. Gong’s story is representative of the people we serve.
It’s not always easy asking for help. Even though people are social creatures, ready to give and accept help, many of us have a hard time asking for it.
But not Mike. He’s both an active participant and regular volunteer in his local food pantry program. And he understands just how vital these services are for neighbors — because he’s felt the impact of your generosity firsthand.
“You don’t know exactly how much you help the people that are on a limited income,” he says. “What we get [here] will last us for a couple weeks.”
Sadly, many veterans like Mike face economic instability and food insecurity. Just to make ends meet, he visits his local food bank for support.
But Mike looks on the bright side, always finding something to be grateful for — even if it’s as simple as having enough food to get through the week.
“Everything comes down to putting food on my table,” Mike says. “If I can do this, I’m all right.”
Your generosity lightens the load for neighbors like Mike. Thank you for caring!
Growing up, Erica’s mom always taught her to be grateful for what she has and share what she can with others.
Erica also recalls how her mom would provide food for her family any way she could on a limited income … even if it meant skipping a meal so her children could eat.
“Even though we didn’t have much,” Erica says, “whatever we did have, [Mom] always shared.”
This kindness has become a cornerstone in Erica’s life. Now with children of her own, Erica wants to ensure she provides for her family, too — just as her mom did!
She never wants her children to know the pang of hunger or to experience food insecurity. But recent financial challenges prompted Erica to seek out support at her local food distribution.
“There’s always a way to feed my children and myself,” Erica says.
Your generosity ensures Erica can do just that! When her budget is pushed to the brink, she doesn’t have to worry about when or where her family will get their next meal.
Erica even extends her mom’s giving spirit to her own neighbors today.
“One of the beautiful things that I love about picking up food from the food bank is they give you an enormous amount,” she says. “And I’ve always made bags for all my neighbors, so everybody knows me because I go and drop off food.”
What would Erica and her children do without friends like you? Thank you for helping their family get by when times are tough.
Erica’s story is representative of the people we serve.
a
You have made supporting people in need in our community a priority in your lifetime. Continue that legacy with a gift in your will or estate plans to provide nutritious food to those in need for years to come.
Join the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank’s Will to End Hunger Society and put the next generation on the path to success by providing the nutritious food they need to learn, grow, and thrive. Will to End Hunger Society members are the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank’s most committed supporters and receive special recognition for supporting our mission.
For more information on the Will to End Hunger Society, please contact Atiye Chappell at achappell@fredfood.org or 540.371.7666, Ext. 147.
