Making Change

When Elizabeth Ford was growing up, she was no stranger to food insecurity. Her mother struggled to provide for her, and Elizabeth relied on hot dogs and nachos she bought by asking for quarters outside of a 7-11.

“As a child of hunger, I knew what I needed,” Elizabeth said. “I needed someone to come to my house and deliver a meal. I would have given anything for that. And just for someone to see me.”

Today, Elizabeth runs a nonprofit dedicated to providing the support she longed to have as a child. Her organization, BetterALife, is committed to helping every child who says “I’m hungry.”

“When you’re hungry, it’s hard to focus on school or on friends,” Elizabeth said. “It’s hard to make the right decisions when you’re focused on your belly.”

To help these children, BetterALife provides a food pantry where families can get supplies and groceries; a cooking program, where kids learn to make age-appropriate meals; and a homework club, where children get a hot meal and help from community mentors.

The organization started in 2016 to help families pay off school lunch debt, so their children could continue to get hot meals. But when schools closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, they began providing food directly to families, opening a food pantry and office in Purcellville, Virginia. Since then, they’ve continued to grow, becoming the community hub and safe haven of support that exists today.

When a group of MainStreet Bank employees heard the story of BetterALife, they were deeply touched and decided to make a donation through the bank’s Making Change giving program. As of 2025, employees have donated over $21,000 to support the organization’s essential work.