Shaunté LeSure had never needed help feeding her family. But shortly after the pandemic struck last spring, the Selma, Ala., native lost her job recruiting health aides for nursing homes. As her income stalled, LeSure realized that she might not be able to get enough food for herself and her elderly father, whom she lives with and cares for.
So, for the first time in her 42 years, she accepted free boxes of meat, dairy products, cheese, fresh fruit, and veggies in a drive-through food-assistance program offered through her church. “That box was a lifesaver,” LeSure recalls.
LeSure is just one of many Americans who, in the midst of a pandemic that has devastated the health and finances of millions, have had to rely on charity to feed themselves and their families.