8-year-old Zoey is bubbly and loves to play outside, draw, and hang out with her four siblings and her parents, Mikel and Tiffany.
She also loves animals. And when she grows up, she wants to be a veterinarian. But before Zoey can follow her dream, she needs to grow up healthy and strong. And for her family, that’s difficult because there’s not always enough food to feed everyone.
Mikel, Zoey’s dad, spent eight years in the military and is now disabled due to his time in Iraq. He fills the gaps by taking jobs as a mechanic. Tiffany, Zoey’s mom, stays at home to care for their 5 children. Without consistent income, meals are challenging. “We eat rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner sometimes because there isn’t food in our house,” Zoey admits. “My mom and dad have to go without just so us kids can eat.”
Thanks to your support, many Northland families like Zoey’s are able to depend on our food bank and network of agency partners. “The food bank helps. It gives us cereal and milk, lunch and dinner too. Food makes you healthy, it makes you strong and it helps you grow,” she said. And despite her family’s struggles, Zoey stays positive. “My family is big. But if I had a wish for them, it would be that we all have food to eat.”