Meet Samantha, a mother of four children who visited the Central Texas Food Bank Mobile Pantry at Nelson Field earlier this summer. Samantha has four children Sofia, 11, Similiano, 6, Saul, 5 and Sebastian, 4. Before having her children, she worked at the WIC distribution clinic.
“The cost of childcare was so high that I had to stop working,” Samantha says. As the children grow, it becomes increasingly challenging for Samantha and her husband to provide adequate food for their family.
Although she receives financial assistance through SNAP, it is not enough to feed her family of six. The shortage of jobs has affected Samantha's husband, so she is doing all she can to find a way to get groceries for her whole family.
With school, back in session, Samantha feels grateful that she can provide her children with nutritious lunches that energize them throughout the day. With the help of the Food Bank, she prepares healthy snacks for her kids' lunchboxes. She loves experimenting with different kinds of fruits and vegetables to make exciting snacks for her kids and often finds new recipes online for them to try.
When they are not working, Samantha’s family enjoys spending time with nearby relatives and getting outside to experience Austin-area parks, trails, and playgrounds.
One of their favorite activities is visiting Samantha’s mother, who lives nearby. When not spending time with family, Samantha’s family enjoys exploring hiking trails and taking the children to nearby parks. Whether it is a picnic or playing at the playground, they always have a great time bonding as a family while enjoying the outdoors.
To end a great day outside, the family enjoys a cozy evening at home watching movies together “The kids call it movie nights; we get popcorn and snacks, and just have a good time together at home,” Samantha says.
Samantha expresses gratitude for the help from the Food Bank, “This helps us get through the month, a big thank you for everything," she says.
