Walking into WHEAT Community Connections feels like a warm hug for Brittany, a Clinton resident. A program of the United Way of Tri-County, WHEAT was there for Brittany and her husband when they lost everything.
“We were homeless on the street, living in a tent,” Brittany recalls. “They helped us with so many things - household products, food. We wouldn’t have been able to eat without WHEAT. We probably would not have survived.”
Today, the couple has stable housing, but they still rely on WHEAT to help put food on the table.
“They help keep our family fed, and I’m very grateful,” Brittany says.
Last fall, when SNAP benefits were suspended, many MetroWest families turned to WHEAT and United Way of Tri-County’s two other food pantries in a panic. Brittany remembers the uncertainty and the relief.
“I’m grateful that they’re here,” she says. “Usually they have bags of rice, milk, eggs. I have WIC, but WIC is not enough.”
Serving the Greater Clinton area, WHEAT supports families and individuals through their toughest moments — from homelessness to the months when assistance simply doesn’t stretch far enough.
“When food stamps didn’t last the whole month, we’d use the pantry and sometimes go to the café for lunch or dinner,” Brittany says. “Now we usually just go for dinner. But when we were homeless, we did both. Those were our only meals for the day.”
For Brittany and her family, WHEAT is more than a food pantry. It’s stability. It’s compassion. It’s hope when it’s needed most.
