After 2 job losses due to COVID-19, family of 5 turns to Lebanon County Christian Ministries for food assistance

Photo provided by Vanessa Breen

After the birth of her son, Vanessa Breen turned to Lebanon County Christian Ministries for food assistance. Fifteen years later, she and her family found themselves needing assistance again, this time due to job losses as a direct result of the COVID-19 crisis.

“I’m a school van driver,” the Richland mother of three said. “There’s no school, so there’s no work for me.”
Just a few weeks later, her husband also lost his full-time job.

“Then it just hit home,” she said. “The first week, it really hit us hard…we didn’t know what we were going to do.”

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Two job losses coupled with needing to pay bills and the stress that came with homeschooling three children was starting to take its toll.
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The Breens recently sought emergency food assistance through LCCM to alleviate some of the financial burden caused by COVID-19 crisis.  Emergency food orders at LCCM provide a 2-week supply of food to individuals and families in need throughout Lebanon County.

They gave me so much,” she said. “They gave me frozen foods and meat. The meat prices are going up and on top of that it’s harder to find.”

Her family isn’t alone.

Over the last seven weeks, LCCM provided 252 households with emergency food orders. Sixty-three of those households - including 192 individuals - sought assistance as a direct result of job loss related to the COVID-19 crisis. Households directly affected by the economic fallout ranged from individuals living alone to families of 7 and 8.

Though life has yet to return to normal, Vanessa says her family is thankful for the help when they needed it most.
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“God has been good to us,” she said. “I just feel hopeful. Right now, in the beginning, all of this is just the hard part. I know we’ll be fine.”

Written by Andrea Gillhoolley, director of development and marketing, Lebanon County Christian Ministries. Contact her at [email protected]