From Food Assistance to Financial Stability

As one of our organization’s longest-serving Mobile Foodshare drivers, Alan Prior is no stranger to hunger in our community--and while his role has him on the front lines of our food distribution work, he understands the importance of programs that go beyond the food.

At one of our sites, hosted by the Community Renewal Team (CRT), Alan met a woman who had spent the previous night in a shelter because she couldn’t afford to heat her home. Not only was she forced to cut utilities from the budget, but she also struggled to access food on a regular basis. Although biweekly visits to the Mobile Foodshare truck helped, she didn’t know how long her young daughter could endure these hardships.

After listening to this woman's story, Alan introduced her to the site coordinator who was able to enroll her in an energy assistance program. Some time later she returned with good news--since receiving assistance from CRT, she hadn’t spent another night in a shelter. Using the direct services offered by Mobile Foodshare--nutritious food crucial to her own health, but especially her daughter’s growth and development--and the program’s connections to wrap-around services, she and her daughter were already on their way to financial stability.