Building Strong Foundations: Barrie’s Story

All around our county, more and more people are finding it harder than ever to put food on the table. But behind every statistic is a real person. Someone like Barrie, a single mom working tirelessly to make sure her daughter has everything she needs while taking steps to get ahead.

A few years ago, Barrie found herself sitting on the floor of her little rental house in Lapel. It was the one with the faded green carpet that she was still grateful to have. Her daughter was asleep in the next room. Her tax return had not come through. Her bank account was empty. And she had nothing left to give.

“I remember sitting there and praying, ‘Lord, something has to happen here because I truly don’t know what to do. I’ve got nothing left at this point.’ I was so tired, mentally beat down, physically exhausted. I felt like I was totally fighting a losing battle.”

That night, Barrie felt scared in a way she had not admitted out loud before. She wondered how to keep going. How to keep her little girl fed. How to keep the lights on. How to stop the feeling that she was drowning.

But it was also the moment something shifted. The moment she reached out for help. The moment that eventually led her to Grace Care Center.

The day she walked in, everything felt different.

What started as a way to stretch her grocery budget slowly became something much bigger.

“It felt like you were ready for me,” Barrie says. “You were there to meet me where I was at and help me get what I needed in the moment.”

The Choice Food Pantry became a lifeline. Not just because there was food, but because there was dignity. There were choices. There was kindness. There was a feeling of being seen.

And all of this was possible because of supporters like you.

Thanks to you, Barrie could choose the groceries that fit her and her daughter’s needs. The healthy snacks her little girl loves, fresh produce that was always expensive at the store, and ingredients she could feel proud to cook with.

For a single mom, a reliable car is not a luxury. It is the only way to keep a job, to get to school events, to build any kind of stability. Grace Care Center has helped with a car loan, managing finances around the loan, and regular preventative maintenance.

And every summer, the free haircuts and school supplies at the Community Fair helped stretch her budget a little bit further. Small things like this make a big difference for a mom trying to hold everything together.

A new chapter: strength, stability, and a life she can imagine again.

Today, Barrie is part of Grace Care Center’s Co-op program. She meets with coaches who help her budget, plan, and tackle debt with confidence. Little by little, she is building the life she once only dared to scribble into a journal.

She is paying down debt. Making intentional choices. Setting long-term goals.

“If I hadn’t been in this program, I don’t know where my life would be,” Barrie says. “This has changed every part of our lives. From the inside out.”

Barrie dreams of buying a home someday. She dreams of taking her daughter on a vacation she can pay for herself. She dreams of breathing a little easier. And she is getting closer, step by step, because supporters like you make it possible.

Your generosity is what makes Grace Care Center a place families can rely on.

Right now, more families than ever are walking through our doors feeling just like Barrie once did. Tired, overwhelmed, and unsure where to turn.

Will you make a gift before the end of the year to help us meet the growing need in our area? All donations made by December 31 will be matched by generous donors so that your support will go twice as far!

Thank you for being a part of the foundation for the future of Grace Care Center and the families we serve.