Foodbank worker recounts the sacrifices made by dad for his kids after losing his job during pandemic

Parents are always trying their best to provide the best for their children. Sometimes they have to pretend that everything is running smoothly in the household to shield the kids from the stress of ongoing financial issues. One such father went an extra length to make sure his kids were always happy when their father returned home each day after work with some special treat for his little ones. But this father is hiding a brutal truth, which is enough to make everyone shed a tear or two at his pitiful conditions and sacrifices.

A woman on TikTok named Amber Mirrelle–who goes by @theamberexperiment on the platform–shared a heartbreaking story through a brief video, which swiftly went viral, gaining over 3 million views. Mirrelle's six-second-long video consisted of the story of a father who was down on his luck after losing his job. Mirrelle encountered that father while working at a soup kitchen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She noticed the man collecting soup from the food bank and placing it in a Panera Bread bag to hide the harsh reality of his situation from his kids. As soup kitchens operate mostly to provide meals to those who can not afford to make purchases from grocery stores, Mirrelle possibly presumed that the man was not doing well financially. As a frequent visitor, he would always pack the food in a Panera Bread bag before carrying it home.

"Thinking about when I worked in a soup kitchen during COVID-19 and a man who lost his job would come by and pack the food we gave him into a Panera bread bag, so his kids were excited thinking they were eating restaurant food every night. I hope he and his family are doing alright," her video's overlay text read. Fellow TikTok audience could not hold themselves back from getting emotional and left a bunch of comments to praise Mirrelle for working in a soup kitchen during the pandemic and shared their own stories of struggles during the hard times.

@sarenadesigns wrote, "Did community service at a soup kitchen while I was homeless myself. I think it's brave to go to one I can't even do it. I can't stand in line." @letsboooogie commented, "That is king behavior. Shield the babies from pain and stress. Provide even if you gotta ask for help. Hope he is doing well!" @sugarghast shared, "When I was houseless this summer, I cried over the apple I got at the foodbank because I had not had fruit in two months. Thank you for volunteering."

@lyss.thompson31 quipped, "When I worked at Panera Bread, our store would take the leftover baked goods at closing and donate them to the local homeless shelter near us." @speve.hardy added, "Working in a food bank is one of the most rewarding things and so very important for your community." To this comment, Mirrelle replied, "It really is. I'm thankful I had the opportunity to do so when I was in college. I learned so much and always encouraged it to others."

The unnamed dad was a hero for suppressing his own pain and worries and making sure his kids were happy at dinnertime at least. But this is not the only parent in America who has lost their jobs and is struggling to put food on the table for their family. According to OPB, in a report presented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 42 million American families are going through hardships while trying to afford basic necessities and enough food for the household in 2022.

“These numbers are more than statistics. They paint a picture of just how many Americans faced the heartbreaking challenge last year of struggling to meet a basic need for themselves and their children,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said in a statement. This is the main reason why food banks are essential to support the unprivileged people in the changing economy as millions of Americans are already relying on them to satiate the hunger of themselves and their families.