During Her Darkest Days, You Gave Misti Hope

Misti has worked hard to build a stable life and home for herself and her sons. She’s not taking anything for granted because, not that long ago, she was in a very different place.

“I came from a domestic-violence marriage, and that’s how I started out with me and the boys on our own,” she said.

As Misti left her marriage and bravely began a new chapter in her life, she and her two sons faced homelessness. But Misti never gave up.

“When we were homeless, I was actually working full time at a corporate office,” Misti said. “It was a lot to be homeless and still carrying a full-time job, but with the job I was able to work on my credit and then worked on finding a place.”

Misti soon saved enough to move into an apartment with her sons, but she never took her eyes off the horizon: a down payment on her own home.

She sought help at her neighborhood food bank to provide food so she could focus on saving for a home.

“They were there for me and my family as security,” Misti said. “They were there for encouragement. They made sure we never went without, that we never had to worry about our food or where we were going to get our next meal from. It’s more than just a program. We’ve become basically family.”

Food banks can be especially beneficial for single-parent households like Misti’s. According to the USDA, food insecurity was 2.5 times higher in households headed by single women compared to all households.

“Knowing that somebody’s there and somebody does care — especially in your lowest moments and your darkest moments — is really powerful,” Misti said. “There’s hope.”