TJC Story Blog
Aug 2021
Tabitha Dean
Tabitha Dean is a mother of two from just outside Memphis, Tennessee. She is a hardworking mother who puts the needs of her children above her own and goes above and beyond to ensure they receive the care they need. This past year, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Americans from all ranges of life; Tabitha was no different and lost her job. Ever the hard worker, she tried time and time again to find another job. Unfortunately, as the job market dried up, so did her savings.
Tabitha’s children both have dietary restrictions that limit the types of foods that she can purchase for them, which ends up costing her more. After losing her source of income, she turned to SNAP to aid her family. “SNAP saved my family this last year and kept us from going hungry,” she said.
Tabitha suffers from a brain tumor that causes debilitating headaches and vision loss. This has further increased the difficulty she faces when job searching. SNAP and Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) have helped provide her with the resources she needs to feed her family until she is able to get back on her feet.
Tabitha is hopeful for the future and grateful for the resources allocated by both SNAP and P-EBT. She says that it helped get them through the roughest year of her life. Although she considers herself an incredible worker, she admits that everyone falls on hard times and the food nutrition programs helped her navigate a difficult time.
