Yudith and Liliana’s Story of Sisterhood and Strength

“Family means everything because if you have your family’s support and love, that’s more important than anything, especially out in the world right now.”

Growing up in a bustling household with six siblings, Yudith and Liliana learned from a young age the importance of supporting one another. As part of a tight-knit group, they’ve always found strength with one another. However, the past year has posed a significant challenge for the family. 

As the older sister, Yudith is the family’s role model. Yudith lives with her girlfriend in an apartment they have made their own. Lately, life has become more difficult. After leaving her job to pursue other opportunities, she hasn’t had much luck securing another position yet with the competitive job market. Now, both Yudith and her girlfriend live on one source of income, which has made paying bills more difficult. So, receiving some assistance has helped alleviate some stress off her plate.

“Coming to the [food bank] and getting a little extra help because with grocery prices rising and everything just rising, it makes it a little difficult,” explained Yudith.

Liliana, the youngest of the two sisters, faces unique challenges. At 18 years old, like many recent high school graduates, she’s navigating the uncertainty of her future while holding dreams of traveling. But when her father had surgery and could no longer work, Liliana found herself stepping in to help keep the family afloat. Despite working many hours as a shift manager at a restaurant, seeing her parents struggle is the hardest part.

“Well, it especially means a lot right now because I’m the one seeing my mom struggle because of my dad and everything that’s going on,” explains Liliana. “So, [the food] just helps us a lot with the extra, like we don’t have to spend as much.” 

But through it all, Yudith and Liliana have each other to lean on. Their sisterhood has been a source of comfort during this difficult time. As first-time food bank recipients, they found themselves among the hundreds of guests arriving at United Food Bank’s monthly Neighbor’s Pantry. They came in unsure of what to expect. This moment was bittersweet for the sisters, but they are grateful to receive help during this difficult time. 

Yudith and Liliana feel it’s important to express their heartfelt gratitude to those who make this support possible, hoping their words inspire others to continue giving.

“It means a lot to people like us who aren’t in the positions we wish we were,” Yudith shared. So, it’s very helpful, so thank you. I hope that donors continue to provide and to give to others because it does make a difference, not only for me but everyone that comes to United Food Bank.”

Are you inspired to help more of our neighbors like Yudith and Liliana? If you would like to support United Food Bank in our efforts to support those in your community facing food insecurity, visit unitedfoodbank.org/donate/. Every donation helps ensure that no one has to face food insecurity alone.