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Leo tried to comfort his young daughter Ana as she wailed with pain in the urgent care exam room. He worried she had another ear infection and that he’d have to take several days off work to care for her. Missed work would mean the family would be short on rent and short on money to pay for groceries – a scary reality heading into the coldest time of the year.
More of Leo’s story is below. But first, see how you can be an ally for people struggling to afford food, like him.
Provide healthy and nutritious food to our neighbors with a year-end donation this December. You’ll alleviate their hunger and decrease their stress.
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All gifts made by December 31st will be doubled. $1 becomes $2 for hungry families.
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Leo and Ana
More and more people are turning to the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry for help. About 3,170 families got fresh produce, meat, dairy and pantry staples each month this year; a 16% increase from last year. Why this increase? Working families, like Leo’s, struggle to pay their bills and pay for food – especially if lost work hours means lost income. Many jobs don’t come with paid sick days, leaving already fragile families in desperate situations.
It currently costs the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry about $115 to pack a normal order of 75 lbs. of food. That’s about two weeks of food for one family!
Your year-end donation to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Madison buys quality pantry staples, fresh produce, dairy products and meat. You’ll provide families with hams and turkeys, gravy and potatoes, veggies and mac-and-cheese; all of the fixings for a good holiday meal.
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All gifts made by December 31st will be doubled. $1 becomes $2 for hungry families.
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Ana is Leo’s youngest daughter; Bianca is his oldest. His daughters are everything to him and he loves being their dad, but he struggles to pay for everything that they need to grow healthy and strong. While his wife Estefany works as a CNA, Leo does both landscaping and is an Uber driver. They feel blessed to both have steady jobs, but often their income just doesn’t cover all of their bills.
Ana did have an ear infection that day in urgent care. It pained Leo to see her hurting and he had to take a few days off of work to care for her. Just as he worried, this loss of income and urgent care cost wrecked his budget for the month. His biggest priority was paying for rent, but he didn’t know how he would pay for groceries.
That’s when you stepped in to help. Your compassion provided Leo’s family with food from the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry.
Thanks to you, Leo also picked up diapers and wipes. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, diaper prices have surged by 48% costing more than $70 per month per child. You relieved his burden just a bit more.
Leo, Ana, Bianca and Estefany
If you ask Leo what’s the biggest obstacle on his mind, he will tell you – hunger and stress.
Your year-end donation to the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry will relieve both! Just $115 from you will calm Leo and his family’s hunger – filling them with care and support knowing they are not alone. Your gift will alleviate the stress of balancing a small budget while providing for the family. Your gift can also prevent Leo’s family from falling into homelessness. Because of your compassion, Leo can get food, freeing up money to make sure the rent is paid and the heat stays on.
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All gifts made by December 31st will be doubled. $1 becomes $2 for hungry families.
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Caring people like you are the reason none of the 31,703 people who visited the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry so far this year were turned away. You’re the reason families rely on our pantry for food – whether they pick it up in-person, order it online, or receive it delivered to their home.
Leo needs you during this season of his life. He works hard to provide for his family and pay the bills. He looks forward to the day when he can take Ana and Bianca to the grocery store to pick out what food she wants. But for now, he knows he can rely on the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry when he needs it. It’s a place to come where he isn’t judged, his dignity’s respected and he knows he can get quality food.
Answer the call to help our neighbors in need. You can feed Leo’s family today. Make your year-end donation now.