Angel Food Fund: Feeding Families, Fueling Hope
A dinner plate with a small amount of food in the center, indicating a lack of nutritious food available to families, older adults, and at-risk individuals in the community.
When a family is facing food insecurity, the most urgent question isn’t abstract. It’s simple: How are we going to eat this week?
Through Shannon’s Angel Food Fund, WomenFirst stepped in to answer that question with real, tangible support for our community.
The Impact
Here’s what that support looked like:
The Shannon Angel provided emergency and holiday meals for 121 families.
WomenFirst donated $1,000 to Greater St. Stephens Missionary Baptist Church to provide Thanksgiving food baskets to 87 elderly individuals.
WomenFirst donated $1,000 in $100 Fred Meyer gift cards to Fir Ridge Middle School for their food pantry, serving 10 young adults and their families.
WomenFirst directly served 34 families with emergency food baskets and support.
These numbers represent households — not just individuals — meaning the ripple effect is even greater.
But numbers only tell part of the story.
A Message from the Front Lines
We received this note from Amy Woo, principal at Fir Ridge Middle School:
“Tonya, thank you so much for the gift cards. I wanted to tell you a little bit about the students who got access to them.
For most of these students, those gift cards meant being able to buy food for themselves or their families over the winter holidays. I know a few wanted to use the money to help with gifts for younger siblings or a small gift or clothing item for themselves. One of these students is living completely on her own as her dad was recently arrested and is in jail. One is currently living in a shelter after having to do a restraining order against her mom. All of them, either on their own or with family, are struggling to make ends meet so every penny of this money truly helped.
Thank you so much!”
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about “extras.”
This is about students living on their own.
Students navigating shelters.
Students trying to buy groceries — and maybe, just maybe, a small gift for a sibling.
Food support doesn’t just fill a pantry.
It stabilizes a household.
It gives dignity.
It gives breathing room.
Why It Matters
Food insecurity is rarely a standalone issue. It’s often tied to:
Housing instability
Domestic violence
Job loss
Medical hardship
Aging without adequate support
The Angel Food Fund allows WomenFirst to respond quickly and flexibly when families are in crisis — whether that means emergency baskets, holiday meals, or gift cards that allow recipients to choose what they need most.
This is community in action.
And the truth is, none of it happens without donors who understand that sometimes the most powerful intervention is the most practical one.
A bag of groceries.
A gift card.
A holiday meal.
Small acts. Big impact.