Rain or shine, Anna Randazzo has accessed Harvesters’ mobile distributions on-and-off for the past decade.
“I have been so, so grateful for this as an option. I was out of work for a year recently, and I didn’t think that would ever happen because I’d never not had a job,” she said.
“For my savings to disappear and my food budget to go to zero was really, really difficult, but the peace I had was that at least whenever I could get to a Harvesters’ pantry, I knew I wasn’t going to starve.”
Whenever she’s low on food, Anna uses the Food Locator on the Harvesters website.
“I click on ‘find food’ and then I go right to the PDF, so I can see what dates and addresses and see what works in my schedule,” she said.
Anna also believes God brings people across her path so she can share resources she has learned about.
“Because I have this information, I have the opportunity to share with the people I run into and ask them ‘Have you heard of (United Way’s) 211?’ ‘Have you heard of Harvesters?’ ‘Have you heard of Care Beyond the Boulevard?’…I say, ‘I can see you’re struggling, and I hope it doesn’t last, but ‘Hey, here’s an option.'”
Similarly, when Anna receives a food item that doesn’t suit her personal preferences at a mobile distribution, she is eager to “rehome” that item.
“Sweet potatoes? I’m not sure I like them, but I’m thankful for them. Lettuce, in my opinion, is also a waste of stomach space. Chocolate or bacon is better!” she laughs. “But I know that when I’m blessed, if I have something extra or I don’t know what a rutabaga is, God will put someone in my path who can use it.”