TYLER, Texas — With prices up on just about everything, it can be tough on parents' wallets to put food on the table and afford fun activities during summer break. To respond to the need, several parents and community members have created virtual villages of support.
Being a parent can be hard - something that Keri McDonald, a Tyler mother of three boys, knows well.
“We have a task ahead of us– a big task,” McDonald said.
Parents can often struggle providing for the bare necessities during a time of economic inflation.
“Prices are just too high now,” mother of four Angela Luna said.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the cost to put food on the table for a family of four right now is between $976 to $1,585 a month depending on the household income. That’s up 27% since the start of 2020.
“I can't go to the store and get what I used to get, but I get the off-brand stuff -- the cheapest thing because things are so high now,” Luna said.
Virtual villages have popped up on Facebook. These groups have become great ways to look for assistance and connect with people in the community.
“It's volunteer (work). I'm not getting paid to be the admin of the group. I have a passion for helping people,” said Anita Freeman, administrator of the group ETX Freebies. “I am the oldest of 11 siblings and I'm an auntie.”
Freeman said when she became an administrator, the membership increased by 6,000.
“We’re up to a little bit over 10,000 now. Well, it's great in the sense that you have a bigger group, but there's that much more need in the community. So sometimes that's a little bit alarming,” Freeman said.
The group promotes volunteer opportunities, community resources and so much more.
“There’s school supply drives but I get messages about what food pantry is open today,” Freeman said.
Luna received assistance for her family, and she’s also paid it forward.
“They’ve provided groceries for us before,” Luna said. “I got them a lot of milk, baby food and some cereal and stuff that they needed for their baby. And I've donated some clothes that I didn't need, like little girl clothes.”
On top of necessities – summer break can be expensive too. From camps to fun activities for the family, basically, it can all add up.
“Time’s are tough, everyone I know is struggling so any time families can do something free that's fun we always promote it,” said McDonald, who started the Facebook group, Tyler Summer Moms, in 2017.
She said the group is about helping families have a fun and safe summer. It’s not just for moms either. Grandparents, dads, business pages and a few nannies are in the group as well.
McDonald said Tyler offers a lot of activities for kids and families but with inflation, “the free things to do have dwindled as the cost of everything has gone up.” Still, she believes it's important to keep the kids active during the summer months.
“I tell them screen time melts the mind– and you can only have so much mind melting a day,” McDonald said. “So it’s important to keep their minds healthy – their bodies and their spirits.”
So for those looking for things to do, she recommends looking at the posts that mention deals and investing in memberships.
“We love the Lego store and they offer some free events, some $5 events,” McDonald said.
“Rose Heights (Community Life Center) is a great place to take kids. There's a very minimal fee. I think you can go three times and then it's $10 a month to join. Discovery Science Place membership is definitely worth it.”
She said memberships at places like Rose Heights and Discovery Science Place help give parents a place to bring the kids and get the most bang for the family’s buck.
McDonald said it’s a great way to build community by supporting local businesses and keeping families in Tyler.
“Tyler is beautiful. Tyler is wonderful, and Tyler has a lot to do,” McDonald said.