Meet Victorina, a retired older adult who gets groceries at St. John Vianney, a Food Bank partner agency. See how food assistance eases her budget and her heart.

For Victorina, a trip to St. John Vianney Church, a Los Angeles Regional Food Bank partner agency, is about more than groceries. It’s a little breathing room in a month that can feel tight.

Located in Hacienda Heights, St. John Vianney is one of the neighborhood sites where neighbors come to receive essential food assistance. Victorina, a retired older adult, is one of the thousands of neighbors who seek their help each month.

For Victorina, the food she receives does more than fill her kitchen. What she doesn’t have to spend at the grocery store can go toward something else that needs paying.

“That’s how I can cover my bills too, because what I would spend on food helps me pay a bill, and it helps a lot,” she said. 

Every bag of groceries is a bill Victorina can cover with a little less worry. It’s because of that that she feels eternally grateful for the food assistance that supporters help make happen, from donors to volunteers. 

“I feel so much love in my heart for those people, because they give their time for us, and I am so grateful because they help me,” Victorina said. 

Nobody of any age should have to choose between a meal and a bill. If you or someone you know could use food assistance, visit the Food Bank’s Pantry Locator to connect with a nearby partner agency.