We will figure it out… together

“Finances will be tight, but we will figure it out.”

That’s the phrase Susanna and her husband said to each other as the stay-at-home order began to affect their family of three children.

With the stay-at-home order, her husband had to close his small business. This greatly reduced their household income. At first, they had groceries and essentials delivered to their house and did pick-up orders to reduce exposure. They didn’t plan on using the meal program provided by Robbinsdale Area Schools – their local school district. They repeated the phrase “we will figure it out.” 

That was until they noticed that friends within the school system were encouraging families to pick up meals. They didn’t feel they “needed” them yet. But they kept hearing that meals were truly available for all, so they decided to give them a try. And they were overwhelmed with the generosity received. They received breakfast, lunch, and snacks for their three children, along with a variety of food items in bags from The Sheridan Story.

“With the continuation of the stay-at-home order, these school meals – accompanied with shelf-stable items from The Sheridan Story – have allowed our family to keep our heads above water.” 

Additionally, the meal programs have helped limit and spread out trips outside of the home, which is particularly important to protect a family member who is considered high-risk for COVID-19. 

In the midst of all this, Susanna and her family have found true community support and gratitude. And children are oftentimes the ones who remind us of these things. Her kindergartener has especially loved finding new ways to combine the canned and fresh fruits they’ve received to make smoothies, fruit salads, and fruit leather.  

“We are extremely grateful for the collaborative efforts of our local school district, The Sheridan Story, and other local hunger-relief organizations.”