The Face of Hunger: Patti

Everyone we serve has unique experiences, hard decisions to make and stories to tell. Meet Patti, one of the individuals you are helping with your support.

When Patti moved back to Minnesota from Arizona in August to care for ill relatives, she never thought it would take so long to find a job. With limited income and five kids at home, Patti gets creative and uses all resources available to make sure there's enough food for her family. Here's what a typical month might look like for Patti:

First week of the month

Patti calls her local food shelf to make an appointment for a visit. They serve 14 people a day. She calls as soon as possible on Monday for her appointment, but sometimes she'll have to wait until Tuesday to visit.

Patti doesn't know what she'll be getting until her appointment arrives, but she'll likely get an assortment of shelf-stable food items like pasta, rice, soup, cereal and beans along with fresh items like meat and gift cards for milk.

Throughout the month

Patti uses what she receives from the food shelf and clips coupons, visiting multiple stores to get the best deals to round out meals for the week.

End of the month

Food shelf supplies have often run out by the end of the month and her purse strings are a little tighter so she utilizes a lot of simple, inexpensive meals like ramen.