TJC Story Blog

Anonymous

One grandmother from Johnson city became the primary caregiver for her grandchildren when their mother was incarcerated. She is raising 4 grandchildren on her own and details the impact that free school lunches had on their family and the importance of P-EBT. This Johnson City grandmother is unable to work because of health issues and she struggles to feed all her grandchildren. She shares that she spends all her money to feed them and that the family has been forced to move from their home because the rent increased to a level that they could no longer afford. During the school year, her grandchildren received free breakfast and lunch through their school but entering summer without food support is a daunting challenge. 

There is strong correlation between food insecurity and parental incarceration. A child’s life is often upended and is significantly impacted when a parent is incarcerated. Living in a household where one parent is incarcerated increases a child’s likelihood of experiencing food insecurity by 15%. Families like these feel the current pressure of rising food costs and they need action and support now.