“Between my heating, phone bill, rent, medicine and co-pays to doctors, my money just doesn’t go far,” Marsha says, explaining her budget limitations.
Her finances have been especially tight lately. Marsha had been supporting herself with an office job at a marketing company since her husband passed away 11 years ago. But one day at work she did some heavy lifting and was badly injured — her only income now is small, monthly disability checks.
Marsha can rarely make her assistance stretch to afford all her monthly groceries. With her injuries, she needs access to nutritious food to bolster her health. That’s why she’s so glad she found out about the Auburn Food Bank. Once a month, Marsha’s daughter-in-law drives up from Tacoma to give her a lift to the Food Lifeline member agency.
“It’s a big help because I can get things I can’t go buy, like fresh fruit and vegetables,” Marsha says.
Gifts from friends like you help rescue perfectly good produce that would otherwise end up in a landfill and connect it with people like Marsha. She and her neighbors are also able to pick up shelf-stable staple groceries like canned goods and pasta, healthy whole grains, lean meat and dairy at the food bank. Marsha was ecstatic to take home a whole frozen turkey the day we met her.
Many of our member agencies — including Auburn Food Bank — distribute pet food for neighbors with low incomes who have animals in their care. Marsha’s cat, Pi, has been great company for her since she lost her husband, and being able to stretch her budget a little bit further with access to quality cat food has been helpful for her.
Marsha knows the food bank wouldn’t be able to stock its shelves without your gifts to Food Lifeline, and she’s so grateful you choose to help provide relief for neighbors like her.
“Thank you!” she says with a wide smile. “I thank everyone who has contributed. I know what it’s like to go without — this helps me a lot.”
You’re bringing hope to neighbors of all ages through your generosity. Thank you for sharing what you have!
