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A single mom of three, Kathrine moved herself and her kids to the Ozarks to help care for her grandparents as their health declined. Their new life in southwest Missouri looks a lot different from their old home on the east coast, trading oceans and rivers for hills and cows, the Outer Banks for a mini farm – and one job for three to make ends meet.

The move came with a lot of changes, including a large pay cut for Kathrine. On top of that, her youngest daughter has been dealing with health issues that require regular doctor appointments and prescription medications. It wasn’t long before Kathrine realized she was going to need a more flexible schedule to care for her family and made the tough decision to leave her law enforcement career. Now she works three part-time jobs: Substitute teaching, home health care and grocery delivery.

Kathrine knows how to work hard. She’s a Navy veteran who was part of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. She’s also a provider for her children and grandmother. But even with three jobs, Kathrine worries about how she’ll afford both bills and groceries during the month.

“The economy is like, really bad right now, and no matter how much a parent works, it’s never enough. I’m a veteran, and I have a degree. It’s still really tough,” Kathrine shared.

Kathrine learned about Ozarks Food Harvest’s Mobile Food Pantry nearly two years ago. She’s come to the distribution four times since then, and while she only picks up the food when the family is having a particularly tough month, it makes a big difference.

“This helps me get by,” she explained. “It’s why I’m able to still be there for what my daughters want to do. Because how can you tell a kid that they can do whatever they want in life and follow their dreams if you don’t open doorways for them?”

Kathrine keeps those doorways open for her children by providing as many healthy meals as she can. She raises chickens and a small garden for eggs and vegetables, and she’s hoping to get milk from their goats soon. She uses the groceries from Ozarks Food Harvest to supplement what they grow and what they can afford from the grocery store. Most recently, Kathrine used the food she received from The Food Bank to make Philly cheesesteaks, and she often uses the apples and other produce to make sides for her daughter’s lunches.

Looking ahead, Kathrine plans to support her kids as they achieve their goals, and she has goals of her own. She hopes to add a few more classes to her criminal justice degree so she can help other kids overcome challenges and reach their dreams, too.

But none of that happens without food on the table.

So many people in southwest Missouri are just one unexpected event away from needing food assistance, especially now when families facing hunger report needing $100 more per month to afford groceries compared to just three years ago – and many are still recovering from the federal shutdown.

In this time of uncertainty, The Food Bank is grateful for your support in the movement to end hunger. Together, we can ensure families like Kathrine’s have the food they need to thrive. Thank you for helping us Transform Hunger into Hope in the Ozarks for more than 40 years. To help more families, visit ozarksfoodharvest.org/how-to-help.