“God, I’m here,” Miss Cooper says. “I’m blessed.”
Miss Cooper is raising her daughter, a high school senior with special needs, and the two continue building toward greater independence together. For many years, St. Louis Area Foodbank’s partner agency Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry has been part of that journey, providing Foodbank-donated food and picking up additional donations through the Foodbank’s Grocery Rescue program.
“They’ve been a blessing to me since my daughter was little,” she says.
In 2011, Miss Cooper experienced four strokes in a single month. After that, she could no longer continue the manufacturing work she once loved. Today, visits to the pantry help her stretch her budget so she can keep nutritious food at home.
“In the boxes, it’s straight nutrition,” she says, describing how she enjoys preparing meals like chicken, salads, broccoli, cabbage, and greens with the items she brings home from the pantry.
“They’re a blessing. They are awesome,” she says of the team working at Loaves & Fishes. “Josh, Dion, all of them, they rock.”
The pantry continues to be a steady source of support for Miss Cooper and her daughter.
“The prices are ridiculous,” she says, “so this helps.”
For Miss Cooper, the impact of your support is easy to see. It provides food, dignity and hope to families across the community. Her message is one of encouragement: “Just keep giving. Because it’s a blessing.”
