There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays

Holiday meals often create core memories that spark joy throughout our lives. This is true for Kristy, her husband, and their two children, who love spending time together cooking and sharing meals.

“Sharing food is just something that we love to do, and we love the style where you are literally passing it around the table. It’s just family fun,” Kristy said. “The food smells delicious, and all our hearts feel nice and warm and full.”

Kristy and her husband work hard to make sure their family can enjoy those special holiday meals together. Sadly, though they both have full-time jobs, it’s still not enough to get by.

“We both earn entry-level salaries,” she explained, and “it can be hard to make ends meet.”

Kristy’s family’s situation is not uncommon. According to the USDA, half of all food-insecure households in the United States included one or more adult members who were employed full time.

“We barely make enough to pay our normal bills and sometimes don’t have enough to supply the amount of food our family needs,” Kristy said. During the holidays, she visits her local food pantry for a little extra support.

Thanks to the generosity of donors like you, Marion Polk Food Share can work with partner pantries to ensure that families have food on the table for meaningful moments and holidays throughout the year.

“The pantry helps most during the holidays,” Kristy said. “The box of food makes our holiday meal awesome. It’s almost like opening a birthday box. It’s just full of surprises, and it’s a weight lifted off your shoulders.”

With that weight lifted, Kristy and her family can focus on what matters most to them: spending time together.

“I don’t take time with family for granted,” Kristy said. “Some people don’t have everyone to get together with during the holidays, so we want to keep that cheer going.”

Thank you for your continued support of the Food Share. Families like Kristy’s are so grateful for your love and kindness.