Our Families’ Stories

These are the voices of the families we serve. Each story shared here is a window into the lives of real parents and children in our community. They remind us why TABLE’s mission matters and how your support helps provide comfort, nutrition, and hope. If you want to create more inspiring stories, consider giving, volunteering, or spreading the word so every child had the healthy food they deserve.

Meet Charlotte’s Family

Two sweet kids. A full-time teaching job that didn’t cover the bills. And an unsafe home environment. That’s what Charlotte was facing.

She wanted a more secure home for herself and her boys – Grant and Ian – but could not leave her partner for financial reasons. After their family began receiving food from TABLE, Charlotte realized they could leave.

“Had it not been for TABLE, I would have had to go back,” she shared.

Now in a safe, stable home, Charlotte has remarried and has a new stepson, Oakley, who has severe autism requiring extensive therapy, including sign language instruction. Charlotte and her partner would not be able to provide this therapy to Oakley without consistent help from TABLE.

Charlotte wanted us to share her story with you.

She says, “TABLE is one of the only organizations I’ve felt truly supported by.”

Meet Sophia’s Family

Rosa and Carlos live in Chapel Hill with their 9-year-old daughter, Sofia. They discovered TABLE during a difficult time when Carlos lost his job and the family was struggling to afford both food and rent. He was making just $380 a week, and Rosa wasn’t working at the time.

“Carlos would sell his things because we didn’t have enough money to pay rent,” Rosa shared.

That’s when they turned to TABLE.

“TABLE has helped us in our most needed moments,” Rosa said.

“I now know there are people who will help you and you are not alone.”

Meet Jayden & Darius

Tiana and Shawn, parents to Jayden and Darius, were doing everything they could to make ends meet. With bills piling up and food running low, they often skipped meals to make sure their boys had something to eat — even if it wasn’t always balanced. Sometimes, there simply wasn’t any food at all, and the whole family was left hungry. Their health began to suffer. Everything changed when they started receiving weekly healthy food deliveries from TABLE.

“My boys eat 3–4 more fruits and vegetables every week and my family is eating more meals together! The bag of groceries always helps, thank you!”

Jayden and Darius also receive TABLE’s monthly Chefs@Home meal kits, which include a recipe, ingredients, a nutrition activity, and a cooking demo.

“These kits are so amazing. I always learn new recipes with them, as do my kids. My boys [want] to eat more healthy foods and try new foods even when we go out to eat.”

Meet Nasir & Farah

Nasir and his family were newly arrived refugees who came to the U.S. with hopes for a safer life. Nasir first arrived at TABLE in the blistering heat, looking for food assistance.

We unfortunately informed him that our waitlist had not progressed in months and sent him home with a bag of food with our promise to notify him when it was his turn to receive our services.

After months of biking to our office and using Google Translate to ask when Farah could start receiving food, we were overjoyed to see that she was next in line! With your generous support we were able to offer Nasir and Farah a lifeline, which included a bag of food and something equally important—hope and a sense of community.

Meet Tiana & Cameron

“I’d like donors to know we’re regular people, just like them,” says mom of Tiana, 9 years old, and Cameron, 14.

Their life changed dramatically overnight due to a domestic situation. They went from living in a stable household to being in need of food and other basic resources in the blink of an eye.

Their mom cites TABLE’s easy signup process for being a huge help when they needed quick support.

About the food we deliver to their home each week, she shared, “We knew every week we would get something to eat. My kids look forward to the fresh food the most. They know they will get a fresh piece of fruit once or twice a day and we get enough for fresh sautéed vegetables every day.”

Meet Gracie’s Family

Gracie’s family has benefited from TABLE’s nutritious bags for years. When they were originally receiving food stamps, they found themselves making just over the maximum amount for a family of five and desperately needed other food assistance. That was when TABLE stepped in to help.

Over the years, the family has tried many new fruits and vegetables—foods they wouldn’t have tried otherwise—and they are eating healthier because of TABLE. Gracie enjoys looking up new recipes and has even started pickling and making sauces. She finds TABLE’s weekly recipes extremely useful and relevant to the items in their bag, making it easy to prepare healthy meals.

TABLE’s impact reaches families all across Orange County, and Gracie’s children’s health is flourishing because of it. To Gracie’s family, TABLE is building a community one food bag at a time, and they are deeply grateful to everyone involved for making a meaningful difference in so many lives.

“TABLE has aided in our ability to have access to more fruits and vegetables and at a great level of variety. Fruits and vegetables can be very expensive, groceries in general and it is a very tough decision to not choose healthy food because you can’t afford it. Thank you for this wonderful program.”

– A TABLE Family

“Receiving the bags is an exciting time for us. My kids jump up, exclaim with excitement, and run to the door when the volunteer knocks. I really appreciate the variety of food we receive. I have learned about and eaten vegetables and snacks that I have never tried before. It has been a fantastic experience exploring new foods and ways to cook them.”