Celestina began visiting the food pantry at the Father English Community Center when she and her husband were both furloughed from their jobs due to the pandemic. With three young kids at home, they struggled without an income until a concerned friend referred them to the pantry.
“We didn’t have any work,” she told us. “I had no idea how we’d put food on the table.”
Though they’ve both gotten back to their livelihoods, they are still contending with the financial ripple effects of having been out of work for three months. Celestina visits Father English early in the morning after a long overnight shift in a factory and then goes home to care for the kids while her husband works as a mechanic.
With a long road to recovery ahead, they don’t know when they’ll stop needing help from the pantry.
Fortunately, Celestina goes home with generous bags of fresh and nonperishable foods – enough to sustain the family for at least several days. Her kids especially enjoy the Hispanic meals and the salads that she makes with the ingredients she receives.
“The pantry is fabulous,” Celestina said. “It’s been really helpful, and the experience has been great.”