Bino is no stranger to hard work. A Marine Corps veteran and turbine technician, he spends long days doing physically demanding compressor work, all while raising five children. “I work six days a week,” he shares. “My kids are my everything. From the oldest down to the youngest, they keep me going.” As a single father, balancing work and child care has been a challenge. His two oldest children, ages 17 and 16, help care for their younger siblings when Bino is at work, and during the school year, the structure helps. But providing healthy meals for five hungry children, especially in the summer, pushes his paycheck to the breaking point.
“The menu gets bigger as they get bigger,” Bino laughs. “In the summer, all they do is eat. I’ll buy a box of peaches … and they’re gone in three days. But that’s what makes me happy, seeing them healthy.” This was Bino’s first time visiting his local food pantry in Watford City, supplied by the Great Plains Food Bank, but it made sense to him. “I’m not prideful,” he explains. “If the universe opens the door, step through it. Sometimes pride and ego get in the way for people, but I’m not like that. This is about my kids. When my 6-year-old says, ‘Dad, I’m hungry,’ I’ve got to do something.”
For Bino, providing for his children means more than just ensuring they have enough to eat; it also means teaching them to love good, nutritious food. He is passionate about cooking, especially authentic Italian cuisine. “I love to cook. I don’t like premade or frozen foods; we make everything fresh. … Even my kids help in the kitchen,” he says.
Bino’s son Luca chimes in, “My favorite is pasta and potato soup!”
Bino hopes to open an authentic Italian restaurant in Williston, where he can share the food he loves with the community. “I want to feed people,” he smiles. “That’s what brings me joy.”
To generous friends like you, Bino says, “Thank you for being there.” At the Great Plains Food Bank, we believe no parent should have to choose between paying bills and putting food on the table. Because of you, the Great Plains Food Bank ensures thousands of families facing hunger in North Dakota and Clay County, Minnesota, have enough to eat.