One special donor that surfaced during the COVID19 pandemic was local photographer, Sarah Higgiston. As a teen, Sarah recalls having what most of us would consider a really good life…they had a number of cool cars, a summer home, plenty of food & clothes, and a college fund. Until her dad got really sick, right at the time his company was undergoing a hostile takeover, and subsequently lost his job. Suddenly everything changed…then a recession hit! Mom was working but not making enough to pay essential bills, so they sold or lost everything they had to make ends meet!
Sarah recalls her worst day during this difficult time: “The toughest day for me was when I came home one Saturday from working all day at a local diner and discovered that my mom had sold “my” piano. I really regretted that I had complained so many times about having to practice. She didn’t think I would miss it!”
It was at this time that Sarah and her family were kindly supported by their local food pantry until they got back on their feet.
So with a little extra time on her hands to reflect during the COVID19 stay-at-home order, when money wasn’t being spent on “extravagances” like eating out, going to the salon, or shopping, Sarah decided to donate some of that money to the food pantry. She gave as often as she could, and was a huge contributor to the Pantry when the number of families which needed our services was rising, students were home from school without access to healthy food, and like Sarah’s dad, losing their jobs, temporarily or permanently.
We are SO grateful for Sarah and donors like her who stepped up to support our community!
We have heard similar stories from some of our clients who never thought they would need the services of a Food Pantry, so we are always happy to share stories from donors, just like Sarah, who are compelled to donate based on their own experiences, and with the help of their local pantry, were able to get through the tough times.
Thank you Sarah!!
“Across the globe, rainbows symbolize the gleaming hope of a brighter time once the pandemic storm passes.”