THE FARMAKES FAMILY
“We love the YMCA’s COVID-19 Meal Program! It has been a big help in our lives and we have stopped by the Willow Park Elementary School distribution site almost every day since it started. I have been working from home and my husband was sent to work out of town. We have been so stressed out, but it is a big relief to have a dinner already made for Xenia, our three-year-old daughter. She is very excited about the meals, more excited than she is about my cooking! Her favorite food is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, so when those are in the bag she gets extra excited.
Our schedules are so upended and all over the place that it is nice to have one less thing to worry about. Especially since, for some magical reason, if the food comes out of the bag from the YMCA food pick up, it is automatically tasty, according to Xenia. Not sure why the carrots from the bag taste better than the ones from our fridge, but she eats them without question!
We really miss going to the library and/or park every day after I pick up Xenia from the Y’s South Early Learning Center, but picking up dinner is a small excitement that means a lot to us. It doesn’t replace getting to play with friends or see family, but it is a comfort and a new routine for us to grasp on to.
Thank you to everyone who is making this possible. It has been a big stress reliever for our family, because we haven’t had to pay for so much food during this time, and I can eat cheaper than I normally would if I have to make something that Xenia would eat, too. This program really is a ray of hope we need in our lives right now.”
– Jasmin Farmakes, Child Care and COVID-19 Meal Program Participant Parent
Thank you to the generosity of our community donors for helping to make this program possible. If you would like to help make this possible for even more families, please visit our COVID-19 giving page.