Real Stories of Hunger in America

An illness, a job loss, a move to care for aging family members — these are just some of the reasons Americans have turned to their local food banks for help in a time of need.

Zoey

West Monroe,

Louisiana

We eat rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner sometimes. My mom and dad have to go without just so that us kids can have food in our stomachs.

8-year-old Zoey adores animals. And when she grows up, she wants to be a veterinarian. But before Zoey can be a veterinarian, she needs to grow up healthy and strong. And for her family, that can be hard because there's not a lot of food in the fridge to feed everyone.

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Deron

Phoenix,

Arizona

I'm really proud of my Aunt Jessie, who takes care of me. She works really hard for me and my sister. Some times people have hard times and it's okay to ask for help.

Deron, age 9, and his sister Miley, age 10, went to live with their aunt Jessie when their mother passed away. Even though Jessie works full-time, there aren't always enough groceries to feed her new family. She visits her local food pantry whenever her family needs extra help to make make sure her kids have everything they need in their new life.

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DeAdra

Bradenton,

Florida

I’d spent many days going to sleep with an empty stomach, making sure he had all the food in the house.

DeAdra wants a better childhood for her three-year-old son with special needs but struggles to put food on the table while caring for him full-time. With her local food pantry, DeAdra is now able to provide healthy food for Dacian and herself.

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Terri

Bradenton,

Florida

When you look in the fridge and there's nothing there, it's very shameful. I never should have gotten there. I never thought I would be totally broke.

Terri's great life suddenly vanished when her job disappeared and she needed help from the food pantry at her local church. Now that she's back on her feet, she's a regular volunteer at the pantry that helped stabilize her life.

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Emily

Magna,

Utah

I usually get my food from school and the library…Eating food makes me feel a lot better so I can focus more.

Emily’s dad works very hard, but her family doesn’t always have enough food for everyone. Emily goes to her local library’s snack time where she can get a free meal – giving her a positive, safe environment and a full belly after school.

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Lamont

Layton,

Utah

A little girl handed me her report card and she told me ‘my grades are now better because I get breakfast every morning from the food pantry’ and it broke my heart.

Lamont’s life took an unexpected turn when an on-the-job injury left him unemployed and relying on the food pantry to help feed his children. Now, he helps other families get back on their feet as the director of the same food pantry.

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