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Since 2020, Maureen and Wade have been facing challenge after challenge and they feel like they are never able to catch their breath.

That year started out positively- Maureen and Wade got married and merged their families into one. Of course, the joy was quickly tempered by the realities of the pandemic when Maureen had to close her service oriented business, which had been a cornerstone of her family’s income. Their financial struggles started building slowly from there.

In 2021, their son was born with Down syndrome, bringing new health and educational challenges they hadn’t anticipated. Maureen and Wade worked tirelessly to adapt their lives to support their new baby and their older children. This situation added more financial stress to their lives. The following year brought more upheaval as their long-term rental was suddenly no longer available to them, forcing them to find a new home. But the house they moved into had serious mold issues, making it unsafe and forcing them to relocate yet again as soon as their lease was up. The multiple moves was the start of a financial breaking point for the family, who now felt like they might never be able to recover from all life was throwing at them. Wade’s long work hours kept them afloat enough.

But last year, their car broke down beyond repair, leaving them scrambling to purchase another. “We were treading water for so long but suddenly we felt like we weren’t going to be able to make it anymore,” Maureen says. “We were at a loss.”

Maureen started working with a counsellor to get the family emergency assistance. They received their first hamper last year from the Central Okanagan Food Bank. The hampers help Maureen manage her family’s expenses, ensuring they have enough food while navigating their debt. “The food bank definitely makes bills more manageable right now,” she says.

Maureen has started working nights at a grocery store and observes that “there is too much food waste going on. Food banks can take that food and provide it to people who can’t afford it during hard times.” COFB offers a lifeline to Maureen, Wade, and their kids. “This is a bad time for us. I can’t tell you how much help means to us right now.”