Before she found out about the holiday food distribution at J.T. Moore Middle School, Cherly says she couldn’t afford a Thanksgiving turkey for her family. She’s not able to work right now because she cares for her 3-year-old son, Jayden, full-time. It makes things really tough, but childcare would be too expensive.

Cherly’s older children — Luis and Genesis — attend J.T. Moore Middle School, and their school counselor told her about the Holiday Food Distribution this past year. Her eyes light up when she talks about last Thanksgiving — she just loved being able to share a meal and spend the day with her kids, who she’s raising on her own.

Excited to cook holiday meal for kids, mom

Sitting down to a full table with loved ones is a simple joy many of us take for granted. But for Cherly’s family, it means so much. Her mother will be visiting this year, and she’s thrilled to be able to cook a hearty meal for them to share together.

Cherly’s hoping she can get little Jayden into a Head Start program soon so she can get back to work — she really wants to go back to school and eventually become a nurse.

In the meantime, your support is ensuring she can keep her children full and thriving. In addition to the holiday fixings, the food boxes she picks up include healthy staples – milk, eggs and bread – that she can use to prepare even more meals for her family.

‘It makes me cry’

Cherly couldn’t be more grateful for your generous partnership.

“It makes me cry, because this help makes me feel really good,” she says, with emotion in her voice. “This makes me really appreciative.”

This holiday season, you’re filling empty plates across 46 counties. Thank you for making this season bright!

Want to help more families like Cherly’s have a happy holiday? Learn how to donate to Second Harvest . We offer many options including recurring, dependable monthly gifts and holiday-specific matching donations.