Yesenia's volunteer story: "Do you ever skip a meal so that your child can eat?"

“I remember being in first grade, six years old, smart enough to know a little about life, but not enough to truly understand how it all worked. One day, I came home from school to find the table covered in food. The same table that was usually almost empty was now covered with fresh vegetables, fruit, milk, and juice. I was too focused on how happy I felt seeing something so rare in my life that I never thought to stop and wonder: how did we get all this food?”

Yesenia and her mom with Filling in the Blanks’s Paola Arango, Family & Community Engagement Coordinator.

This isn’t the story of a family we serve, it’s from one of our volunteers. But often, their stories overlap.  That moment when Yesenia came home to find food on the table became a core memory. Now 19 and thriving, she is both a pre-school teacher and college student nearing graduation from Connecticut State Norwalk. Yesenia is also committed to paying it forward by helping others challenged by food insecurity.

As a regular volunteer with Fresh Food on the Move,  Yesenia enjoys the direct interaction with families. The food gap and their needs are fully palpable, however. “From the moment I arrive at six am, no matter the weather, I see the line already wrapped around the corner. My mom always said ‘Cuando hay necesidad uno espera’ which means ‘When there is need, one waits.’ And it’s true. There are people who get there at three in the morning, patiently waiting for food that will not be distributed until eight.”

Feelings of gratitude, community, and camaraderie are also abundant, and bring joy to these events. “I’ve overheard comments like ‘This pantry is not like other pantries out there’ and ‘How blessed are we to receive fresh food?’ Families feel heard, seen, and valued. It’s a reminder of how meaningful this mobile pantry is to everyone it reaches—a reminder to continue it with kindness, compassion, care, and love.” 

“I asked a mother, ‘Do you ever skip a meal so that your child can eat?’—one of the questions on our registration form—and with her child next to her, she whispered ‘yes.’ It brought me back to my own childhood, standing in line at pantries with my mom. How did we get all that food? It was because of organizations like Filling in the Blanks.”