Every Friday, Wood Bien-Aime spends the afternoon working in the food pantry at Grace Place for Children and Families. This JROTC cadet is enrolled in a leadership program at Grace Place and has his eyes set on attending medical school. He aspires to serve in the US Army as a medical doctor.
Wood’s path to achieving his goal is full of obstacles, but the largest is not always knowing where his next meal will come from. Wood’s stepfather works as a line cook, and his mother works for a hotel chain. As one of five kids, he works part-time to help contribute to the family budget. The food that Wood receives from Harry Chapin Food Bank’s partner, Grace Place, is a critical component to his family’s strategy for survival.
Grace Place has been enrolled in our Partner Agency Program since 2008. Our Partner Agency Program is a multifaceted food distribution program designed to serve our five-county footprint and relies on a vetted network of partner agencies. As trusted extensions of our mission, we provide our partners with roughly 70% of their food inventory. In the case of Grace Place, we provide nearly 95% of what they distribute to families like Wood’s.
With the advent of COVID-19, the amount of food our partner agencies need to support the communities we serve has skyrocketed. Our distribution to Grace Place grew from 735,000 pounds of food to 1,523,660 pounds of food during the pandemic’s first year, a 107% increase. That need remains high to this day, and our partner agencies continue to bridge the gap between the food bank and families who are hungry.
Our Partner Agency Program comprises of nearly two-thirds of our total food distribution. It has the broadest reach, and by making food readily available throughout our community, it reduces the barriers that most families face as they struggle with food insecurity.
Wood recently shared that he is grateful for the nutritious foods we distribute. As a future medical professional, he knows firsthand how important it is to nourish your body and how expensive it is to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. He applauds the food bank for ensuring that those who are struggling to make ends meet don’t also struggle with malnourishment.
It’s stories like this that inspire your food bank to continue our fight to end hunger. With your help, we are ensuring that nobody has to go hungry in our community.