Local Families Are Giving Thanks for You!

Brandaja is all smiles at Colonial Church Pantry in Wichita Falls

Brandaja, 11, and her little sister Jonasin, 6, live with their parents in Wichita Falls. They’re bright girls — both love math and science, as well as swimming and singing.

You’d never know it from their energetic spirits, but Brandaja and Jonasin don’t always have reliable access to food. They eat free meals at school, but their mom and dad sometimes struggle to fill their table at home.

When we met their family at Colonial Church Pantry, a Food Bank partner near their home, the girls’ mom, Tarsha, told us she and her husband hadn’t been getting enough hours at work.

Tarsha and her husband, Donald, both have hourly positions. Tarsha hopes to soon earn her nursing assistant certificate so that she can have a more stable income. Until then, it’s an enormous relief to be able to visit the pantry for help.

We asked Tarsha if she had a message for the people who help keep her family fed, and her face lit up.

“Thank you so much for your gift!” Tarsha says to friends like you. “It really means a lot.”