my child only cried once he was hungry with no food in the house. Already using food banks, I started stealing food from work. The maitenence department had thier own fridge, and often there would be whole boxes of burritos or all the stuff to make sandwhiches. The guys would bring thier whole weeks of lunch and store it in there.

I started stealing thier food for my one meal a day. I hated myself for it, but I had to feed my kid. The christmas he was 3, We had ramen topped with a can of corn for christmas dinner. His fourth birthday, I had no money for anything. Had $8 to my name, and got him a dominos take out pizza for himself. He didnt have any presents that year. I only comforted myself knowing he wouldnt remember.

I cried myself to sleep a lot in that time. I hated everything about what I was doing to get by. I have a sister who had moved many states away, she told me at one point she was dumpster diving, she luckily had an involved and loving father to her kid, so she just wouldnt see her kid when she couldnt afford to feed him.

Were all doing okay now, but man, it can be rough out there. half my siblings and I, didnt have parents. 3/6 of us became adults from fostercare. That is a setback out of our control. Not a death sentence, but pretty close.