Nourishing Hope for Sarah and Her Son
For Sarah, a lifelong resident of the Outer Cape and single mother of a sixteen-year-old son, Evan, the past year was particularly challenging. Between rising grocery prices, the annual rent increase, and higher utility bills, her paycheck from a local daycare no longer stretched far enough.
When a colleague mentioned that he received most of his groceries from the Lower Cape Outreach Council’s Main Pantry, Sarah was initially hesitant. She had always prided herself on getting by without help, but the stress of an empty refrigerator finally pushed her to reach out.
At the pantry, she was welcomed with warmth and respect. Volunteers helped her select fresh produce, dairy, and shelf-stable items to last the week. “I was nervous to walk through the door that first day, but they treated me like a neighbor, not a number,” Sarah recalled. “That really made all the difference.”
Sarah now visits the pantry regularly, finding not only food, but a community. She regularly attends the monthly Foods to Encourage program, where she receives additional healthy proteins and fresh produce along with a nutrition recipe. Sarah also had access to a Registered Nurse who monitors her blood pressure and glucose levels and a nutrition educator for recipes and healthy eating tips.
The steady food support helped Sarah stabilize her household budget while providing relief from the stress of not knowing if she’d be able to feed herself and her son. “It’s not just about the groceries,” she said. “It’s knowing we’re not alone.”
Today, Sarah and Evan share nutritious dinners at their kitchen table again. Sarah hopes that her story will encourage others to utilize the pantries – LCOC has one in each of the eight towns of the Lower and Outer Cape. In offering food assistance with dignity during these turbulent times, LCOC is ensuring that every neighbor in the region, no matter their circumstance, has access to healthy food and referrals to other life-saving services in the community.
Visits to LCOC food pantries were up by 61% this November over the previous year. The need is great. Cape families facing hunger can’t wait for food assistance this holiday season.