It was as if the ground fell out from under her feet when the single mom of four children no longer received child support payments.

Due to the father’s job loss, there was a financial hole where reliability used to live.

The rent for Lena’s small home ate through her savings in weeks, and food became the math problem Lena solved last after paying for utilities, bus passes and the cheapest possible shoes for little feet that seemed to never stop growing.

Lena regularly skipped her own meals so her four children could eat. She’d make a pot of rice stretch for two days, telling her children she wasn’t hungry and that she’d eaten earlier when they offered her the last scoop.

At night, she’d scroll through housing subsidy sites on a cracked phone screen, hoping for a miracle as the already sparse pantry emptied a little more each day.

The morning she poured the last of the milk, Lena realized she couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually gone grocery shopping. Budget exhausted, knowing she couldn’t stretch the food budget any thinner, Lena visited CSS’ St. Zita program – a service that helps desperate Albertans address immediate needs and challenges.

When asked about her situation, the words came out broken as she told her story while trying to hold back her tears and embarrassment.

When our St. Zita team gave Lena assistance for groceries, her hands shook as she accepted the gift cards. Lena remembers crying, not from shame, but from the sudden, staggering relief of not having to choose between dinner tomorrow and breakfast today. Suddenly, there was enough for breakfast, dinner, and the security of next week.

But the help went deeper than calories and meal planning.

They asked about her. About her – the woman beyond the mother, beyond the crisis. This led to Lena receiving support with applying for job positions in her field.

Grateful for the St. Zita program being there for her and her family when they needed it most, Lena, and many others in similar circumstances, is wholehearted when expressing her appreciation for the kindness and compassion they’d received.

CSS was there for Lena because of the kind generosity of donors like you.

Because Hope Matters! Make a difference today!