Archives for May 27, 2026

Every Thursday, our Pantry on Wheels (POW) team loads the refrigerated van with fresh produce, pantry staples, milk, meat, and protein drinks then drives out to a low-income senior citizen in the community. But what these POW volunteers deliver goes far beyond food. For Martha living in one of these communities, POW has been a lifeline.

Due to unreliable transportation, Martha constantly struggles to get to the grocery store. Not only that, living on Social Security income with rising medical costs made things even harder. “My health insurance has increased drastically, and it’s been hard to cover daily prescriptions,” Martha shared. “At the end of the month, I’d have to choose between medication and food.”

Now, Martha’s monthly Pantry on Wheels delivery brings both joy and peace of mind, easing the burden of having to choose between food and her medication. She appreciates the assortment of options, especially the meat and milk that have become too expensive to buy regularly. “The program helps keep food in my cupboard and food in my fridge,” she said.

For many families facing food insecurity, birthdays can feel impossible to celebrate when every dollar is needed for groceries, rent, gas, or medical expenses. That is why our team created birthday kits — special bags filled with cake mix, frosting, candles, decorations, and party supplies designed to help parents create joyful moments for their children during difficult seasons. More than just supplies, these kits reflect that every child deserves to be celebrated and loved on their special day.

This summer, those birthday kits will include something new: a book of their very own.

That addition is thanks to Viduni, a 15-year-old with a big heart and an inspiring vision. Inside her parents’ garage, shelves are lined with carefully sorted children’s books organized by age and reading level. What began as a passion project on her 13th birthday has grown into “Folsom Book Bank USA,” a mission dedicated to helping children build home libraries and discover a lifelong love of reading.

Viduni personally collects, sorts, and checks every donated book before finding it a new home. So far, she has donated more than 1,200 books to schools, after-school programs, and communities as far as Sri Lanka.

Now, her generosity will help bring even more joy to children visiting the food bank — sparking their imagination, wonder, and hope through reading.