Spreading the Love with Food: Gina’s Story

“Love meant food for us.”

Growing up in Boston as the eighth youngest of 10 siblings, Virginia (Gina) didn’t always have much materially, but she was never short on love. In her family, that love was often expressed through food.

Between living on welfare and supporting a large household, money was always tight. For Gina, some of her earliest and fondest childhood memories were often visiting her local food pantry with her mother, then coming home to watch her turn whatever they had into something that brought everyone to the table.

“ The food had to really go far,” Gina said. “Whatever [my mom] got, it had to last. She knew how to make a meal stretch.” 

This lesson has stayed with her throughout her life.

As an adult, Gina made a decent living working in the food industry with some large companies. But after unforeseen circumstances and a sudden loss of income, she found herself forced to choose between paying rent and buying groceries. Now in her 60s, Gina is once again left to rely on a food bank.

“I had to almost juggle whether I was going to pay the rent or for food,” she shared. “ If you were to go into the grocery store, you would pick it up, look at the price and put it down because you can’t afford it.”

Searching for a solution, Gina turned to United Food Bank for help.

Gina began receiving food assistance a few years ago, when she moved to Arizona to be closer to her sister. At the time, Gina was living at The Orchard Mesa Active Senior Living apartments, one of United Food Bank’s partner agencies, where she received the monthly senior nutrition food boxes.

After moving out last year, she had to find alternative ways to get food. This is when she first became acquainted with Neighbor’s Pantry. About once a month, Gina waits in line to receive a cart full of fresh produce, proteins and everything she needs to make home-cooked meals, which brings her immense joy. Nothing ever goes to waste. To her, Neighbor’s Pantry is nothing short of a “blessing.”

The first time Gina went in line at Neighbor’s Pantry, she was stunned at how many families were also in line with her, including parents with young children waiting patiently for hours.

“ I stand in that line when I come, and I see the different families,” she remarked. “They even bring the little children to stand in line for two to three hours. So that means that these people really need this food.”

Gina wanted to find ways to lighten the moment. 

Before long, she started singing, dancing and blowing bubbles for children to run to catch them. And around the holidays, she’s even been known to arrive dressed as the Grinch—to make someone smile.

For Gina, even here, there’s always something to give. But her generous heart didn’t stop there. Motivated by her faith and the support she’s received, Gina didn’t want just to accept the help – she wanted to spread the love with other people.

Using the fresh produce and ingredients she receives from Neighbor’s Pantry, Gina returns to The Orchard often to visit friends and share a home-cooked meal together. She remarks that many of her friends are physically unable to leave their homes or prepare themselves a home-cooked meal.  Sometimes, the meals Gina comes with is the only home-cooked meals that they eat. In return, she asks for only one thing: a hug and a smile.

“ If you keep your hands closed up, there’s no way God can fill it. You open your hands and extend it. He will fill it more than you can receive,” she shared.

Through these shared moments with her friends, Gina finds herself reliving childhood memories of being in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother—recreating the same care and love she was raised on. 

Gina’s story shows that even in times of uncertainty, love can still be found on the table. Sometimes, something as simple as a warm meal or a smile can make a difference. And with each meal she prepares and shares, Gina continues a cycle of care that began long before her. That cycle is made possible through the food and support she receives from United Food Bank’s Neighbor’s Pantry, allowing her to keep passing that love forward. 

To help fuel more stories like Gina’s, consider donating at unitedfoodbank.org/donate/