Like many people in the region, Mari found herself facing financial challenges resulting from the  global Covid pandemic.

A single mother of three, Mari was financially stretched to the limit and struggled to provide basic necessities for her children – son Jayden (11 years old), and fraternal twins Jose and Jaelyssa (10 years old).

Fearful that food supplies were running out, she turned to social media and local news in search of support. Connecting with the San Antonio Food Bank and registering for an emergency food distribution would impact Mari’s family immeasurably.  

As she got in line at a Trader’s Village food distribution, Mari remembers volunteers with smiling faces, a quick and organized process, and the hope she felt knowing that her family would be able to make it through with the support of the community.

“The real reward was when we got back to the house. My kids and I started to open the boxes and every bag and box was filled with food – apples, milk, eggs, and even ready made meals. That was when I started to cry,” Mari said.

After laying all of the food from the distribution out on their kitchen counter, as a family, they came to the conclusion that it was worth sharing. 

“We prepared bags of food for the some of the seniors in the neighborhood. That evening, we delivered the care packages to each house. That night, I noticed something. I saw the happiness in my children’s eyes as they helped others,” she said.

Mari couldn’t get the thought out of her head. Her kids being so happy delivering food struck a chord within her. It was then, that Mari turned to the Food Bank. This time, not in search of ways to get support, but in search of ways to give support.

“My neighborhood is poverty stricken. They are in need of help with mental health and addiction. As long as there is life in us, I want my family to help others,” she said. 

Mari researched how she could start a food distribution in her neighborhood. She partnered with a 501(c)(3), planned distribution logistics, and became certified to distribute by the Food Bank. 

“We hold a community distribution every other Tuesday. We serve about 100 families  each time. But, I don’t do this alone. My volunteer team are eight individuals of all ages and cultures. It’s an elite group who are all like-minded to help our own community,” she said.

Though still accessing food assistance for her own family, Mari has grown to appreciate those she serves at her hosted food distributions as her neighbors and as her friends.

“Now, my family’s personal mission is to fight hunger and feed hope in our community. Our volunteer team has been distributing food on the east side for over a year now, and we don’t plan on stopping,” she said.

Thanks to community generosity, our resources and programs can transform lives.