What brings most people to Interfaith for the first time is a need for help with the basics like keeping food on the table or a roof overhead. For those whose incomes are not keeping up with increased costs of living, and/or for people in situational crises, our food shelf is an invaluable supplementary food source. With your help and the help of this caring community, nearly 1 million pounds of food and household items helped 1,231 families stretch lean budgets and/or prevent hunger last year. How amazing is that?
For hardworking families, beyond a need for help with the basics, are complex issues that keep them stuck in chronic economic hardship – underemployment being one of them. The growing gap between real incomes and increased costs of living, low-wage jobs that offer limited hours and/or benefits, and a skills gap for people competing in an ever-changing job market, require comprehensive approaches to close that gap. This has been and continues to be a stubborn trend, and finding quality jobs is a burden that disproportionately falls on workers of color, women and younger workers.
The Prevent Hunger campaign not only supports Interfaith’s Food Shelf but our Employment Services program, and Family Support Services. Employment Services staff, case managers, volunteers, employment partners, and the food shelf team work with clients to address the basics, as well as employment and other family support issues. Employment services include but are not limited to help with assessment of work history, interests, job coaching, and development or upgrade of marketable skills that set people on a path to jobs that pay a living wage and benefits that can sustain a family.
Your support for the Prevent Hunger campaign prevents hunger, stretches lean food budgets, and builds capacity for helping hardworking people get and stay on the path to quality jobs and strong futures. From all of them and from all of us a heartfelt THANK YOU!
