There is NO shame in being poor and NO glamor in being wealthy... 

I will never forget, when I was in nursing school, my parents were strapped having three girls in university at the same time, so I would never ask them for money. Well one time, my mother in law to be gave me a bag of butternut squash, and I ate squash for a whole week. We do what we have to do, and many young people need to realize that. If I can giive anyone any advice I would say, don’t keep up with the “Jones”s and live below your means, trust me you will enjoy it in the long run!! Thank you New Subscriber here you are saying so much that is in my soul as well

I’ve never been to a food bank but there was this one time long ago when I was young and single and waiting for my first pay from a new job I asked my church if they could help me from their food pantry. They said they didn’t have much but I was desperate because I’d waited and had just one jar of sauce and one pkg spaghetti for the month so I said I’d be grateful for anything. They gave me three jars of homemade, home-canned jam with rusty lids and rims still on. I felt really disappointed and pretty awful for asking. When I ran out of sauce I used jam with the spaghetti and while it’s ok I wouldn’t wish what happened to me on anyone. Do not let yourself get into a jam with one jar of sauce and some spaghetti - please go to the food bank if you have to.

Thank you, thank you for continuing to talk about our overflowing landfills. If this food is not eaten, it's thrown away. Help your family and the environment ..utilize your local food banks.

Story 2 nailed it!❤

You are very special to me my world is so much better with you in it I'm in recovery and your videos makes me happy and calm I love your family and your personality is spunky and haleruous. keep being you I need you 😊

Thanks for all you do lots of people need to know about food pantries and available assistance!

Thanks to all who shared their stories... and thank you, Carolina, for bringing them to us!

My apartment complex has a sort of blessing box. Everyone just leaves the food at the maintenance office. I go to the food shelves and I pass on whatever I can't use.

Thanks to those who shared their stories. Blessings 😊

I went to the food bank and saw missionaries from my church. I felt so ashamed. I then felt paranoid. What if they told the leaders at church and people are judging us. I am just trying to feed my kids and I don't want to feel like people are judging me. The prices at the store are like double but the wage we have is the same.

Loved this video! Everyone is so supportive here and love ur videos. I am a mom and use mainly drive through food pick ups. I have been putting off going to churchs around my area to pick up food at the pantry but i need to go very soon! I went to a church one time to utilize the pantry and got SO much food, a whole trunk full! I also go to blessing boxes and donate to those when i can.

These were all great stories. Thank you to everyone that sent your story in. This is one of my favorite series on RU-vid, Carolina! You’re definitely tapping into a controversial topic that I haven’t seen anywhere else! It’s so helpful to hear others stories and realize you’re not alone. Everyone’s story is different, but they all have the same goal! Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers as always. Thanks for sharing 🥰

During my undergrad in my social work internship (way back in the day LOL) I interned at one of the biggest food banks in my county. The food bank had a myriad of social services attached to it from a children/teen learning center, English as a second language school, a Woman's Wisdom project (the area I worked in), a clothes closet, a woman and baby area/needs closet, a senior section, and a monthly community meeting for non profits where lunch was served and we learned about all the additional resources available within the community. This food bank started the very first run to feed the hungry the day of Thanksgiving, has partnered with local farmers and growers, and is a direct food partner with one of the major grocery stores in the county. It's amazing how much this food bank has grown since it's inception and just how many people and communities it serves. This food banks name is: The Sacramento Food Bank, based out of Oak Park, California. Itvis definitely a model to follow.

I've worked at the local church and assisted at the small town food pantry. I hope that nobody ever feels bad for it. Quite a few families use it, even many who everyone thinks is well off - probably half the people used it at least once at some point. I don't know what my family would have done without the help.That's what it's for.

I've been wondering also about how to get more stores involved in a food rescue program. I would gladly volunteer to pick up donations to bring to blessing boxes and food banks. Some of us dumpster dive in the area and donate the non perishables. We should all strive to be part of the solution and not be part of the problem. ❤

I sure wish there would have been food banks around when I was an extremely poor college student. I was sooooo poor - my rent was $44/month because I shared a drafty old farmhouse with 4 other students where the total rent was $220 a month. I had no phone, tv, or even heat in my room. There was a wood stove. I lived on leftover dried out pizza that was leftovers from the pizza buffet at the restaurant where I worked. To this day (almost 40 years later) my husband doesn’t understand why I can barely stand pizza. I now live an upper middle class lifestyle but I very much remember the struggle of having nothing. I never had the money for any new clothes or even a winter coat (I would just layer up the clothing). My dad did finally realize I was walking to class in the winter with no winter coat and bought me one.

Love the stories. I do wish our pantry is better but thankful cause they help when we're short on cat or dog food. Some help is better then no help. Hope you get better. Love your summer dresses you been wearing ❤❤❤

I wanted to know if anybody knew this and this could be very helpful to them the lentils that you get from the pantry if you soak them for a little while right instead of cooking them put them in a pot of dirt they actually Grove fairly quickly and then you will never have to buy lentil beans ever again. They really sprout very quickly. And a lot of pantries give oatmeal if you run out of ideas for oatmeal what you can do is put it in a blender and make oat flour from it. If you don't have bread crumbs you can use the and it works really well. You could also make your own granola bars protein bars cereal bars with the oatmeal. You can make your own granola from the oatmeal all you have to do is toast up the oats inside a frying pan and once they turn brown that's it they're done. There's always a way to stretch out what you're given in the pantry like a lot of times they will give like cornflakes or Cheerios and if you're really not in the mood for that you could also grind that up and turn it into like a breadcrumb. You can actually mix the oat flour with the ground-up Cheerios, or ground-up corn flakes and, you have your own type of breadcrumb and you add your seasonings to it you got to use, what you have and be very creative. I have learned how to utilize a lot of different things that I've gotten from the pantry. If you have too much rice you can also find that up or blend it however you want to do it either blender or food processor you put it in there and then you have rice flour which is another alternative. Also if you have a really good pantry that gives you like meats vegetables and stuff like that and a lot of canned food if even if you only get canned food at least you'll be able to stock pile for an emergency. Sometimes some pantries give you a lot of produce and you like oh I can't eat all of this at once what you can do is dehydrated and you don't need a dehydrator you just put your stove on the lowest setting and leave the door open a little bit and leave it there for hours and you'll notice it'll dehydrate. I have all these tips and ideas for what you get at the pantry.

I love all of your videos but these are special. They help others know that they are not alone. Please continue this segment on your channel. God bless you and yours always. Love from Central Illinois ❤

I want to say how much of a difference you’ve made in my life and everyone else’s life. You have made awareness of the food bank stigma and I’m one that use to be so concerned about waking into a food bank and others looking at me or other people like I don’t need to be going to the food bank . My situation is we are a WORKING family my husband works and I also work some doing DoorDash orders and seeling on Mercari for some extra income. We don’t qualify for food assistance since my husband has worked at his job. Long story short the company he worked for 8 years is closing down come October 30 so we’re definitely feeling the hard times hitting us hard lately. Going to the food banks has helped us out tremendously! Saving 500 or more in our grocery bill. I go to two food pantries and get some amazing things. I’m very blessed for that and you have helped me not be so iffy on going to the food banks . Thank you friend for being such a wonderful person

When I was sleeping in my car homeless and or when I lived in a travel trailer on bare land off grid without proper amenities I found it hard to cook food or keep it cool. I still go to the food pantry when it’s called for or when my neighbor needs to go

Thanks Carolina for being a great food pantry advocate and sharing those interesting and insightful stories 👍

Mama Baird I've been in a funk myself lately so this video definitely helped!! 👍 and it's always a great start when we're in the shower 🚿 with you!! Thanks for sharing 👍 and thanks for cheering me up a little......

i really enjoy your videos , but it's sad but true our only food bank gives out 1 lb of burger a few cans of food and dry beans ,no milk eggs or cheese ,bread or produce

Carolina, I don’t even know you in person but lady I love you and your family ❤your so real and I love how you advocate for others, never change sweet lady, your one of a kind❤🎉 great stories btw, I love this series ❤🎉

Caroline I just want to tell you that I love you. I think you are doing a wonderful job taking care of your family. God bless.

Thanks for putting a light on this. I use the food bank and I get shaft for it also. I just don’t care. It helps me get through

Good evening sweetie for at least when I'm watching it evening just wanted to say great video just love your story times I could sit here for hours listening to you also I hope whatever it is you're going through you will overcome sooner than later but with that being said thank you so much for putting on that beautiful smile and not showing that you're going through a little rough patch right now because you still made it to make a video put a smile on your face and tell us stories you sweetie and keep the videos coming❤

They mountain view is so beautiful

The second story about the no food bank story. What the woman was talking about is comities which refers to what the government issues to food banks which in turn gives to the ppl

awesome stories

Tensky SKY-M200 Hair Dryer: bit.ly/3QwgFfE Current price: $109.99 Discount code: tenskym Final price: $49.99

Thanks for another great video 🙂 I hope you’re feeling better. You know where to find me. ♥️

Canned corn.... It seems to be a popular donation item.

I like this hair dryer. It looks great!

I think this narrative that people who use food banks should not be able to afford "luxuries" is wild. My kids loved having picnics in the park so every once in a while we'd pack a good lunch in a real basket with a table cloth, and by "good" I mean we bought aged salami (expensive but lasts forever) and the odds and end cheese from the cheese counter. A chocolate bar etc. Yeah that stuff did not come from SNAP or the food bank but it made them happy and we all got fresh air and exercise and to indulge a little. The park was always within walking distance. I also would save the last few dollars every month from SNAP and after a couple months I'd buy one good steak with fresh herbs and a lb of crab legs for my husband and I to have for date night. The rest of the time I pantry stocked and stretched food to its limit even those who struggle deserve to breathe, and gatekeeping that says more about your insecurities than mine. Thankfully I am in a much better position years later but instead of judging how people live I'd like to help where I can, even if all I can do is help you with one meal so your kids can get some fries at The McDonald's playland

((((((Hugs)))))) Sending prayers that your spirit gets lifted 💝

Omg we have the same brush! ❤😂

Keep the videos coming love you and your family may God bless you so sorry for the comment before this my phone is messing up and it was not saying everything correctly LOL nevertheless I hope you can understand most of it😂

Hey Mama.

Could we have Les' page please? Thanks 😊

You and your hair look fabulous. Wish it could blow your cares away but hopefully soon you will have your peace and joy return to you. You know you are in my prayers.

Advertising

This video touched my heart deeply. Please make another. ❤🍓🥔🧅🍞

You know at the end of the day (or life), we all end up in the same place. People don’t want labels or to be told or helped to do something but then they don’t want to take responsibility for their own actions is crazy. If you need it use it if you don’t or just don’t want to mind your own business. SAID WITH LOVE 😚😏🩷