Power Pack Success Story: Ella and Izzy

Ella and Izzy are twin sisters who attend Belle Glade Elementary School and live with their great-grandmother, who serves as their primary caregiver. Due to ongoing challenges in their home environment, including their mother’s absence related to struggles with addiction and periods of incarceration and treatment, their great-grandmother has assumed full-time responsibility for raising Ella, Izzy, and their younger brother. She is retired and living on a fixed income, and works tirelessly to provide stability and care despite limited financial resources.

The Feeding Dreams Power Pack Program has been a vital source of support for this family. Each week, Power Pack meals help ensure that Ella, Izzy, and their younger brother have consistent access to nutritious food when school is not in session. This reliable support helps close the gap over weekends, when school meals are not available, and provides relief for their great-grandmother as she works to stretch a limited income to meet the needs of growing children.

The meals also promote independence and confidence for the children. Ella and Izzy, in particular, take pride in being able to prepare many of the items themselves, helping to reduce the daily burden on their great-grandmother. The children especially enjoy the peanut butter crackers and tuna, which they use to make tuna salad sandwiches. 

The sisters are extremely close, and in their spare time, enjoy dancing, making jewelry, learning hairstyling, and participating in school activities, including running on the Belle Glade track team. The consistency provided by the Power Pack program has helped support their ability to stay engaged in school and maintain involvement in positive peer and extracurricular activities.

While they previously struggled with behavioral challenges, school staff have also noted significant improvements in the girls’ behavior. The school counselor shared that their behavior has “changed tremendously” due to the consistent access to food through the Power Pack program and being more active in extracurricular activities. 

Beyond addressing immediate food insecurity, the program has also fostered leadership and empathy. When additional meals are available, Ella and Izzy help distribute them to other students and encourage their peers to take food home, demonstrating growing confidence and a sense of responsibility within their school community.

Overall, the Power Pack program has provided essential weekend nutrition for three siblings, while also strengthening household stability, supporting healthy development, and helping Ella and Izzy grow into more confident, independent, and engaged students despite significant family challenges.