Before the COVID-19 crisis, Luis and his wife had never been to a food bank or Mobile Market before. They never needed the help. But as the pandemic forced businesses to close, both Luis and his wife found themselves furloughed, wondering how they were going to afford food for themselves for the first time.

That’s when Luis heard about a Mobile Market distribution nearby. He returned home from the event with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and pantry staples. “I told my wife, ‘This is a miracle – something like this helping us during this crisis.’” Then he said, “We need to repay this food.”

“When you live in a community, you need to be fully integrated into that community. If there is a need in the community you can fill, why not do it?”

Luis began to use the time he’d normally spend at work volunteering at Second Harvest. “We serve in the community where we live,” he said. “When you live in a community, you need to be fully integrated into that community. If there is a need in the community you can fill, why not do it?”

While Luis is now back to work part-time, his wife was laid off from her previous job. They still receive food from Mobile Market distributions occasionally to help them stretch their tight budget, and Luis still volunteers at Second Harvest a few times a week to help his community get through this crisis.

“I have a big heart for people who have been laid off after working somewhere for several years. The work Second Harvest has been doing is fantastic,” said Luis. “This is something that the community will continue to need moving forward. It’s going to take a long time to get back to normal.”