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Norma Faye Jones was two hours late for Christmas.

Born in the early morning hours of December 26, 82-year-old Norma still jokes, “I used to tell my momma, I said, you know the best gifts always come late.” But the gift of food assistance has always come just in time for Norma.

When Norma’s children were young, she and her kids reached out to social services to escape an unsafe situation at home, leaving Norma as a single mother of five. Norma worked when she could to get by, but it wasn’t always enough. Sometimes, she had to skip meals so her children didn’t go to bed hungry. The family made it through with the help of local food assistance and food stamps, now called SNAP.

“It was me and the five children for about ten years, so I know what it is to rake and scrape the bottom of the barrel,” Norma explained. “If it hadn’t been for the food stamp program, my children would have probably starved.”

Now that she’s retired, Norma lives at a senior living community in Ava, MO, where Ozarks Food Harvest brings a Mobile Food Pantry truck once a month. She’s been coming to this distribution since it began two years ago and shared, “I think people are really truly blessed by you all having this program, especially the seniors. Most of these seniors are on a very limited income, and with groceries the price they are today, it seems like every time you go to the store it’s a little bit more. This really helps with budgets.”

Seniors like Norma have worked hard for decades to provide for themselves and their families, but far too many older adults find themselves worrying about how to make ends meet after retirement. In fact, adults over the age of 65 make up one-third of the neighbors served by Ozarks Food Harvest’s network. Our retired neighbors deserve access to the nutritious foods they need to keep thriving.

From personal experience, Norma knows how important it is to be compassionate toward others, because anyone can face hunger or loneliness. It’s part of why she volunteers five days a week at the senior center, helps out at senior dances and music nights, and loves to laugh and give hugs. “I try to treat people the way I want to be treated,” she explained. The supplemental groceries from Ozarks Food Harvest give Norma the energy she needs to keep giving back.

Ozarks Food Harvest’s programs like the Senior Food Program, Mobile Food Pantry, SNAP assistance and partnerships with local senior centers help connect our elderly neighbors to food they might otherwise go without. Many of The Food Bank’s programs also support working families facing hunger – like Norma’s did years ago – when they don’t know where else to turn.

Thanks to the compassion of our donors and volunteers, we’re able to Transform Hunger into Hope for thousands of children, families and seniors every month so they can lift up the people around them. To get involved in the fight to end hunger or to get help with food assistance, visit our website at ozarksfoodharvest.org. And thank you, Norma, for sharing your story.