Family takes advantage of Food Assistance programs to make ends meet
With four children and two adults under one roof, a weekly grocery bill can add up really fast. Thanks to the Beverly Bootstraps Food Pantry, Erica* is able to feed her family well and save some extra money for other necessary bills. Some of those bills include medical expenses for her twin daughters, who were diagnosed with epilepsy and autism.
“I use the food pantry to help because my husband works and he makes too much money,” Erica said, explaining his sole income puts them just out of the range to qualify for assistance from the state.
Erica said she has also taken advantage of the nutrition education classes offered by Bootstraps. “They show us how to make meals with the food available,” she said.
Another aspect of Bootstraps programming that has been making a big difference for Erica is the Kids Eat Healthy Initiative, which offers snack bags for children to take to school, as well as to bring home over the weekend to tide them over.
“For me, that’s times four,” she said. “So that adds up to a lot.”
“We have so much we can offer families with kids,” said Food Assistance Supervisor Stephanie Tyler Smith said. “We can fulfill so many needs. And we love it when people are able to make use of those programs.”
*Name changed for privacy
This story was part of the Gifts of Hope series originally published by the Beverly
Citizen/Wicked Local. The full series is available on our blog
here
.
