food bank haul

Making ends meet can be a struggle right now, especially as some areas of the country see staggering increases at the grocery store. But some moms are making the best of it by normalizing utilizing local food banks to fill in the gaps left by inflation. In search of a remedy for grocery money not going as far, food pantries are becoming vital for young families.

Some moms are trading clothing hauls for food bank hauls, proving that asking for help isn't a moral failing. The food received can not only make full meals, but also supplement what's missing, and they're sharing the message via social media for all to see. One mom is even showing how she's giving back after becoming more financially stable, making the transition from needing help to giving help visible.

In one video, a stay-at-home mom on a low budget films herself as the food bank workers give her options to choose from. Xye Rayno uses her social media account to show the reality of living and cooking on a tight budget. When accepting donated food from a local food pantry, the options vary from week to week. During this particular visit, Rayno had more options than usual that would make several high-quality meals for her family.

Immediately, the woman standing outside of view asks Rayno to choose between "canned potatoes, pasta, or rice." The entire interaction is someone giving her multiple food options to choose from before the mom drives home to unveil her haul. Rayno's entire trunk is full of groceries, and she holds up items to show viewers what she got: several half gallons of milk, a couple of cartons of eggs, a bag of potatoes, a bag of onions, snacks for the kids, and more.

In November 2025, ABC reported that some food banks have seen an 1,800% surge in family use to help fill grocery needs. It would be easy to point to the government shutdown that occurred just before the report as a reason for the spike in food pantry consumers, but it wouldn't tell the full story. The rise in food bank visitors has been increasing steadily for several years.

In 2023, Jessica Francis, Executive Director of Open Cupboard, shared with PBS News that, "Before the pandemic, we were serving 420 families, and now we're serving more than 4,000." An executive director of a New York food pantry explains to the same outlet that they went from serving 6.3 million meals a year to being on track to serve more than 11 million for the year 2023. Food insecurity is happening nationwide, and food pantries fill in the gaps left by inflation and loss of income for some families.

Moms removing the stigma by showing what going to a food bank looks like and the type of food they receive there can help others in need feel more confident. Another mom, known as Momma El on TikTok, un-bags her food bank haul, showing Cinnamon Crunch cereal, pasta, milk, Chef Boyardee, turkey breasts, English muffins, snacks for the kids, and more.

Another mom, Becca, shared at the end of her food bank haul video, "I know I say this every time butour food bank really keeps our little family secure on hard months, so we're really grateful again, to have the opportunity to go. And as I do some pantry cleanouts, any extra food will be going to my free market community."

People stopped by the comments to support these moms, showing what surviving financial hardship looks like. One person said, "Wow! That's like $165 at the grocery store," while someone else points out, "I love that they asked/gave options vs giving boxes with stuff that you may never use. I feel like more people get help this way."

One person writes, "Looks amazing! So glad you can take care of the family and eat well. You deserve to eat yummy things."

Someone praises, "That is a great haul. Your kids will love the sweets. I’m glad you went and used the resources out there."