Trimica Smith, 53, stands beside a cart of groceries after visiting The Stewpot, a North Texas food pantry, ahead of Mother’s Day. Smith said rising grocery prices and reduced food assistance benefits have made it increasingly difficult to support her family.
The line moved slowly through The Stewpot on Thursday morning as volunteers handed out bread, canned goods, and milk. Clients pushed carts forward one at a time, trying to stretch the food they could get into another week of meals.
For Trimica Smith, 53, Mother’s Day this year will not be about flowers, brunch reservations or gifts.
The day designed to celebrate mothers will be about making food last.
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“When they give you an extra $10 or $20 on Social Security, they cut down your food stamps,” Smith said. “Even with your food stamps, you can’t buy enough in the grocery store because everything is high.”
Smith, a mother of three and grandmother of five, said she has increasingly relied on food pantries as grocery prices continue to rise. She recently moved in with her sister, and together they are trying to support a household of four while helping care for children and grandchildren on weekends.
“This is my second time here,” she said. “You have to go to the free pantry to make everything work.”
Her experience mirrors what many mothers across the country are reporting ahead of Mother’s Day.
A new report from No Kid Hungry found that many parents are struggling to consistently afford food for their families as inflation and housing costs strain household budgets. No Kid Hungry is a national campaign run by the nonprofit Share Our Strength, which aims to end childhood hunger in the United States.
The May report ‘Moms Sacrificing to Feed Children, Needing Additional Supports’ says 93% of mothers said they make sacrifices so their children can thrive, and more than half strongly agree with that statement.
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About 91% said at least one additional resource would help them feel more confident that their children can thrive. More than half cited access to healthy, affordable food and affordable housing as major needs, according to the report.
Trimica Smith, 53, gathers groceries during a visit to a North Texas food pantry ahead of Mother’s Day. Smith said rising food costs and cuts to assistance benefits have forced her family to increasingly rely on community food resources.
Mothers reported skipping meals, cutting back on essentials and taking on debt to afford groceries. Many parents also worry regularly about whether they will have enough food to feed their children, the report said.
The report also found many parents worry regularly about whether they will have enough food to feed their children.
At the food pantry, Marely Villanueva, 63, loaded items into bags for her family. She said she helps support her daughter-in-law and four grandchildren, including one child with special needs.
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The family comes to The Stewpot every two weeks to help make ends meet. Villanueva said caregiving responsibilities prevent her from working regularly, and she says employers often overlook her because of her age.
“No one gives me work,” she said. “I’m too old.”
The report’s findings reflect a broader financial strain on caregivers, particularly mothers and grandmothers who often absorb the emotional and logistical burden of keeping households afloat.
For Smith, those pressures are constant.
Asked what has become most difficult to afford: “Milk. Food. Everything.”
Lower-income mothers were especially likely to say they need additional support, reflecting the growing financial pressure many families continue facing amid rising grocery and housing costs.
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For Smith, faith has become part of surviving the uncertainty.
“What keeps me strong? Jesus,” she said. “Jesus is the one who keeps me strong.”
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She said mothers who are struggling should not be ashamed to ask for help.
Mother’s Day, she said, is less about celebration now and more about perseverance.