“My mommy doesn’t eat.”
When a little girl said those words at one of our recent Mobile Pantry distributions, every single mother knew what she meant: Her mom doesn’t eat because there’s not enough food. She misses meals day after day, just so her kids can have something to eat.
Right here in Utah, 511,000 of our neighbors don’t have enough to eat. The impact this has on their health, their development, and their future is staggering. And data consistently shows that women are especially vulnerable to food insecurity – and the health consequences that follow. For the past year, as the pandemic disrupted work and home life, many moms have been stretched thin — acting as caregivers, teachers, and earners at once.
The pandemic has touched everyone, but often mothers bear the brunt of it, with no space or time to recover. One in five Utah children is experiencing food insecurity right now, which is closely related to the loss of maternal income. Since the pandemic began, many working moms have struggled to balance their employment with the extra parenting responsibilities of kids in remote learning, so they have had to reduce their work hours or leave the workforce entirely. Many families already on the brink of financial crisis found themselves needing to turn to Utah Food Bank for food assistance when they could no longer make ends meet. Across the country, almost 1 million American mothers have left the workforce — with Black, Hispanic, and single mothers among the hardest hit.
As mothers in Utah try to recover from the effects of the pandemic, you can make an incredible difference. Every $10 you give helps distribute $80.30 worth of goods and services to families who are still struggling.
On Mother’s Day, we celebrate the women who have been a source of encouragement, love, and support in our lives. This Mother’s Day, you can be a source of encouragement, love, and support for the many mothers in Utah who are striving each day to build a brighter future for their families in the face of the overwhelming emotional and financial devastation caused by the pandemic.
We invite you to honor a special woman in your life this Mother’s Day with a donation that also lifts women struggling to feed their families and often go without to do so. Join us with a gift today and make all the difference.
Click on the link below, and you can make a gift in honor or memory of a special woman in your life. When you do, you’ll have the option to send a Mother’s Day ecard to let them know that a gift has been made in their honor.
Give now.
