Our Impact

Rita managed a store for more than 17 years before retiring, but still continued working for a few years after her husband passed away.

She retired for good to help take care of her 10 grandchildren.

“My son lives in a house right behind me, and honestly, I don’t know what he would do without me,” she said. “It’s hard being a single father of seven kids.”

Rita & her granddaughter Lily

With ages ranging from 5 to 17, Rita said keeping growing children fed is challenging, especially when school is out during the summer.

“It seems like every other day you have to go to the store to get something, and it’s because they’re home all day and they have to eat,” she said. “I’d rather us adults go without; these children can’t.”

Rita said she limits snacks, but the grocery bill still adds up quickly.

“We can’t go out and buy the little packs of meat, since we have seven kids to feed,” she said. “We’ve got to get the big packs of meat and that’s almost if not over $20. We cut back on spending on other things because its more grocery buying than anything. It’s a struggle.”

Rita said she watches for food distributions, like SEMO Food Bank’s ABC (A Better Childhood) Mobile Pantries to help keep her family fed, especially in the summer. She said she is able to make multiple meals for her family out of the food she receives.

“It feels good to know that I can go home and feed my grandkids,” she said. “You know what I mean? Because around this time, we usually have to go buy food with money that’s supposed to be used for other things the kids need.”