Being hungry and not having food really hits home for me.

I was one of those children that didn’t always have food at home. I have a vivid memory of a time in elementary school; I stayed home sick from school, my mom was a single parent and couldn’t risk losing her job to stay home with me, so I was alone. I wanted to eat something warm (think comfort food) so I mixed flour and water and lumped it together, which it resembled that of a burrito, I baked it and I ate every bite of it. The alternative was peanut butter and jelly on saltine crackers, which is what I usually would eat.

I was the kid that would bring a banana to school for lunch and would get in trouble by the teachers because "that's not a lunch", which they would send me to the lunch line to get the peanut butter sandwich, only to be embarrassed again by the cashier because I hadn't put money in my lunch account for two weeks. I remember being sent into the hallway at school with a pink slip because I didn't have money in my lunch account feeling sad and embarrassed.

By the time high school came around, if I wanted lunch, I had to make money to pay for it. But this never stopped me from buying food for my friends who needed it as well. 

No child should ever have to go hungry or to feel embarrassed for not having lunch money.

Being able to participate in the Walk to End Hunger on Thanksgiving morning with my family means a lot to me. I’m thankful we are able to raise awareness on this concern and funds to give back to the community. If you are financially stable and have $5 to spare, would you please consider donating it to this cause? Let's make a difference together and make a difference and help those that have so little.

Together, we will make a difference for the 1 in 5 families in the Twin Cities who struggle to put food on the table. 

Thank you and hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving! 
Michelle