How a Holiday Meal Made a Difference to Neighbor Debbie D.
It’s 11:40 a.m., in Severn, Maryland, exactly one week before Christmas, and neighbor Debbie D. is pulling her minivan up close to the neon orange cones in the parking lot of Maryland Food Bank community partner Love Wins.
An older adult living in Anne Arundel County and seeking food security for another week, Debbie puts her vehicle into park and sets the emergency brake, nearly three-and-a-half hours before the 3 p.m. scheduled start time for neighbor Holiday Meal Kit pick-up.
For Debbie, today is a bit of a race against time. When I caught up with her, she was wistfully watching the sun start to descend from its noon peak.
“I get here early because I don’t see good at night. I have to get home before it gets dark, so I’m determined to be the first in line. I brought my breakfast and a crossword puzzle for the morning, then my lunch and this book for the afternoon,” she offered.
The motivational book, “Stop Waiting for Permission,” offers practical advice about how to maximize every area of one’s life, which Debbie is finding to be quite useful as she navigates her golden years on a fixed income.
Facing Hunger Means Facing Tough Choices
Debbie is one of nearly 2 million people—one in three Marylanders—that will face food insecurity this year. With the cost of food 30% higher than in 2019, those numbers have stayed persistently high.
“You asked me why I’m here instead of going to the grocery store? Have you seen the cost of food? I’m a widow now. I still have a mortgage. I have electric, gas, water, and taxes – all of that has to come from one check. And don’t get me started on medicine, they HAVE to put a cap on medicine soon, right?
Debbie, like far too many Marylanders, often faces near-impossible choices.
“When I do go to the store, I really have to budget carefully, because there is no other source of income. I pick up a few things, but if I get up to my spending line, that’s it, and I have to leave some things behind – that’s how I do it.”
Supplementing her food supply by visiting Love Wins has been a consistent and pleasant experience for this older adult.
“They do very good things for the community here. I’ve picked up chicken, fruits, and vegetables, especially greens, and canned goods, sometimes cereal and a every now and again, a goodie like a dessert – they help cover most all the aspects of making a meal,” said Debbie.
“You can’t stop living. That’s what I’m thinking. You know, you have to just keep going. You never really know someone else’s situation, so I think we should all help each other.”
A Caring Community and Love Wins’ Human Resources
And it was that same community that helped Debbie connect with resources in the first place.
“I started coming here during the pandemic, and I found out about it from word of mouth. Well, does the internet count as word of mouth? I’m active in some senior groups on Facebook and a gentleman told me about it there.”
When asked about the volunteers and staff, Debbie smiled broadly.
“The people here are very pleasant! Like today, they gave me a candy cane, a Christmas tree shaped snack cake, and genuinely ask me how I am doing, they care.”
And regarding the food at Love Wins, Debbie shared that she’s always been able to choose foods that she is familiar with, likes to cook, and actually enjoys eating.
The Maryland Food Bank proudly partners with more than 750 community organizations like Love Wins statewide.
We form these partnerships to help break down barriers and ease neighbors’ access to healthy, nutritious food, while also offering wraparound services that can help eliminate the root causes that are forcing them to even visit partners like Love Wins in the first place.
It Can Be Harder During the Holidays
But on this day, December 18, Holiday Meal Kits were on the menu, which sparked a nostalgic response from Debbie.
“It used to be five of us for Christmas Dinner: my mother, my father, my brother, my husband, and me. I know I already told you I was a widow, but it’s not only my husband. All of them are gone except for my younger brother, so it’s just us now for the holidays, and sometimes that’s hard.”
Debbie finds motivation and strength from warm memories of her family.
“You never stop thinking about them, especially if you had a good childhood, you know, and your parents were upstanding people. Mine were old school and made me accountable.”
But even with that sense of accountability, Debbie is just not able to make ends meet without the assistance of Love Wins and is thankful that no one judges her.
Holiday Meal Kits
Holiday Meal Kits, each of which feeds a four-person family, is filled with traditional holiday favorites like potatoes, collard greens, mac & cheese and more. Packed lovingly by volunteers during our annual Pack to Give Back event, these kits help partners like Love Wins to give neighbors like Debbie the chance to experience the holidays how they choose.
Passionate Perseverance
“You hear from some politicians that people just need to pick themselves up by the bootstraps, and figure things out. But who are they to judge? I’ve done it the right way and here I am.”
And even before her arrival at 11:40 a.m., Debbie had already faced some tough choices.
“I guess I’ve been pretty blessed because I do have health care. I’m retired. I purchase Part A and Part B because I need it. Even with that, I just picked up medicine, and it was $229!”
While some people could turn cynical after a lifetime of “doing it the right way,” Debbie remains positive.
“You can’t stop living. That’s what I’m thinking. You know, you have to just keep going. You never really know someone else’s situation, so I think we should all help each other.”
In Maryland, we are extremely fortunate to have companies, corporations, foundations, groups, and individuals that care enough to make sure that neighbors like Debbie D. have the opportunity to enjoy the warm feelings from a holiday meal with family and friends.
But 1 in 3 of us still faces hunger on any given day, and we have a unique opportunity to join together and build a hunger free future for all Marylanders. 
About The Author
Ben Gross
For more than 30 years, Ben has been helping organizations raise awareness and inspire action by creating compelling narratives. And since 2018, Ben has been the Maryland Food Bank's Staff Writer, elevating the voices of food-insecure neighbors to further the Maryland Food Bank's mission of feeding people, strengthening communities, and ending hunger for more Marylanders.
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