How ACBC Food Shelf Was There for Rhory Following a Medical Emergency

Rhory, a Twin Cities mom, is a solo parent to a 15-year-old son. “I have always worked incredibly hard to provide for my son. No child support, no public assistance. I have always done what it has taken,” she explained. But around three years ago, their lives drastically changed. Rhory had a brain aneurysm, followed by two strokes. She spent over 50 days in the hospital’s intensive care unit and underwent multiple brain surgeries on the road to regain her health.

As a longtime food service and hospitality worker, Rhory had disability insurance and a 401k that she used to pay for her family’s living expenses while she underwent months of rehab. But then, when her resources were getting low, she learned that she wasn't going back to work and still needed to focus on her recovery. “Then I was like ‘Oh, I have to figure something out, like, right now,’” she said. 

That’s when Rhory called and left a voicemail at Second Harvest Heartland partner ACBC Food Shelf, an Anoka County organization that provides food, clothing, and referral services for neighbors. “I was actually at a really intense rehab program, and I was on a break. I got my phone call from ACBC and they said, ‘hey, we can get you in today at 4:00,’” she said. “I can tell you exactly where I was standing and that relief. Coming here [to ACBC] was obviously a huge, huge help.”

Rhory appreciates that ACBC is a welcoming and comfortable environment and that they provide a variety of foods, like fresh produce. With her medical condition, Rhory had to change her eating habits, and all the fresh food at ACBC helps her maintain her health. “I'm not a food snob, but I have to really be careful with my sodium, with cholesterol, with everything,” she said. “So that's why it makes a huge difference.” ACBC also helps her source the foods her son enjoys, like tacos, pizzas, and burgers.

With food prices soaring in recent years, Rhory is thankful that ACBC is around to help her provide for her family. “I know many [food] items, like my standard items, in a very short amount of time are 30% higher,” Rhory said of the prices she’s now seeing at the grocery store. “And then if you multiply that times an entire shopping trip? It’s bad… I'm so, so grateful that we can come here.”