Rachel and David, parents of four children, have been feeling the pressure of rising costs, especially when it comes to getting their kids ready for a new school year. With inflation, making sure their children have the tools they all need to be successful has been difficult and expensive. David works full-time to support his family, but when Rachel was laid off at the start of summer, making ends meet became even harder. Especially without having school lunches to help.
Through the Comprehensive Hunger Relief Collaboration, offered through Butler County United Way’s partnership with Shared Harvest Foodbank and other area food pantries, Rachel and David were able to put food on the table for their four children throughout the summer months, until Rachel was able to find a new job. Thanks to this program and the help of EBT benefits, all four kids were able to return to school with everything they needed, including full bellies.
In the last year, Shared Harvest and other Butler County area food pantries were able to distribute 1,976,037 pounds of food to those families like Rachel and David’s locally.
Sheila, a 44-year-old single mother of four, is no stranger to navigating adversity. Ten years ago, after going into labor early with her twin boys, she had to learn to navigate things a little differently than before. After giving birth to her sons, Sheila was rushed into brain surgery due to fluid on her brain pushing on her optic nerve.
About 7 years ago, Tonya made the brave decision to leave a domestic violence situation for the sake of her and her daughter. Leaving the situation was a courageous choice, but Tonya went a step further and left her home and community for her and her daughter’s safety.
Sherry was at the end of her rope after years of trying to combat the problem behavior of her school aged son. Her therapist recommended trying a parenting course offered through Butler County United Way’s Parent Project....
E.J. first entered the foster care system 5 years ago at 10 years old, and the uncertainty of his circumstances weighed heavily on him. Not having a stable support system and family in his life during such a formative time left him feeling vulnerable and scared.
Rachel and David, parents of four children, have been feeling the pressure of rising costs, especially when it comes to getting their kids ready for a new school year.