Adriane reflects on the impact her local food agency has had not only on her family but on those who seek assistance in her home.
Adriane Smith’s home is more than just a house. It’s a refuge, a sanctuary, a place where love stretches to meet every need. With seven children under her roof, including two through foster care, and many more who come and go, she has made it her mission to keep kids from entering the system. Her own childhood in foster care instilled a deep commitment: if she could spare even one child from that experience, she would.
Over the years, Adriane has welcomed children into her home, some biologically hers, others not. But each one has found a place where they are fed, nurtured, and, above all, seen. Her doors are always open, not just for her own, but for any neighborhood child in need of a meal, a safe place, or a moment of kindness. “The way the world is now, with how much everything costs, sometimes it’s hard to keep up,” Adriane says. “There have been times I didn’t know how I was going to feed not just my kids, but the others who come through our door.” That’s where the food bank has stepped in, not just with food, but with dignity, with prayer, and with a reminder that her family is not alone.
“Even when you can’t do anything else, at the very least, you can feed them,” she says. “Jesus said, ‘What you do for the least of these, you do for me.’ And this is a blessing to make sure a child doesn’t go hungry, just so they can make it to the next day.”
Her daughter, Zoe, just 11, already shares her mother’s heart for others. She loves the fresh fruit they receive, especially the watermelon. She sees how the food bank staff remember them, ask about their lives, and offer more than just groceries. They offer hope. “You never know what small act of kindness can change a life,” Adriane says.
Child hunger is real. But with your help, families like Adriane’s will never have to wonder where their next meal is coming from.
