A Grandma’s Love Shows the Power of Family and the Need for Community Support

When we met Dawnett and her grandson, Taylor, in Fallbrook, they were picking up their weekly groceries from our partner Fallbrook Food Pantry. Feeding San Diego has long partnered with the Fallbrook Food Pantry to provide food assistance to low-income families in the rural, agricultural community. We deliver produce and pantry staples. In addition, we have connected the pantry to local grocery stores, so they can rescue food and provide a greater variety to the community they serve. The pantry serves an average of 500 families per week, many of whom rely on this community support to put food on the table.

Dawnett and Taylor with the food they received from Fallbrook Food Pantry

Taylor’s adorable smile drew us in, and we asked Dawnett to share her story. Dawnett, who is soft-spoken, opened up to us. She shared the shocking details of how she found out Taylor existed and his harrowing road to recovery.

A Story of Hope and Community Support

Dawnett discovered she was a grandma when Taylor was four days old, and she received a call from the hospital. Taylor was born addicted to fentanyl. The state gave Dawnett the opportunity to come to the hospital and be his emergency caretaker. She is now his primary caretaker and is in the process of becoming his legal guardian. 

“We’ve been on this journey since he was born on St. Patrick’s Day. He’s a very lucky baby. He has brought me all the joy in the world.” 

As you might expect, unexpectedly becoming a guardian for an infant has been challenging. “The reason I’m able to get by is my boyfriend allows us to live in his house and pays all the utilities and takes care of us,” Dawnett shared.  

Dawnett also shared that Taylor eats like crazy. The food assistance not only helps her financially but also helps her meet her goals for raising him.

Taylor

“He loves the selection that we always get when we come here. I love the selection because it’s different every week, and it allows me to give him different textures, different tastes so he doesn’t end up a picky eater. Everything that’s given is very well balanced, lots of proteins, nuts, beans, citrus.”

Dawnett and Taylor exemplify strength and resilience and show what is possible when a community wraps around those that need a little extra help.

“This distribution has allowed me to provide nutritious, versatile foods for my grandson. Thank you for providing us weekly with all the nutrition that makes this little boy happy and healthy.”