Carlos Sanchez and his two-year-old daughter Amara patiently waited their turn to go through the line and get the food they needed at Ministry on the Margins in Bismarck. It was Carlos’s first time visiting the Great Plains Food Bank partner food pantry.
Holding his daughter in his lap, Carlos spoke of the challenges that led him to needing food assistance that day. Despite current struggles, his demeanor quickly changes to a noticeable optimism when he speaks of the future he is building toward.
In addition to Amara, Carlos has three boys that currently reside with their biological mother. In an effort to make himself a more attractive candidate and provide better support for his family, Carlos is working hard to earn his General Education Degree (GED), which he hopes to earn in the next few months. But until then, life remains difficult.
His current class schedule creates challenges for Carlos to obtain consistent work. He is currently working as a housekeeper, an often short-term position that can include long periods of time in-between jobs. His visited the food pantry when he was no longer able to stretch the family’s benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) any further to get through the remainder of the month.
He has a partner that is currently in her first year of college pursuing a degree in environmental science, but plans to transition her major to addiction counseling at the end of the term. It is more reason for Carlos to remain excited about his future.
The food pantry has allowed Carlos to continue to build for his future. When he was asked what he would do without the food he received that day, he indicates that he would forgo his GED classes and accept any type of shift or temporary work to make it by.
Because of your support to the Great Plains Food Bank, Carlos and his partner are able to continue furthering their education and goals of contributing as much as possible to their community