From the Food Bank to the White House

In 2016, Jackie Bogart was living in upstate New York with three children to care for but felt she was barely able to leave the house. She had just escaped an abusive relationship and had long dealt with depression and anxiety. “I just was having a hard time, day to day, just living,” she said.

It was difficult to afford groceries. One day, she went with her mother to the local pantry in Owego, where the Food Bank of the Southern Tier was holding a focus group. Participants received gift cards that could be used to buy food. F.B.S.T. is a beneficiary of Feeding America, one of the seven organizations supported by The New York Times Communities Fund.