Feeding the hungry is a cause that lies close to my heart,
rooted in my own childhood experiences of poverty and hunger. Growing up, my
family faced severe financial hardships when my father struggled to find work.
There were countless days when our sustenance consisted of nothing more than
water sweetened with a spoonful of sugar. These memories of hunger have left an
indelible mark on my life, shaping my values and driving my passion for helping
others.
The turning point in our family's struggle came when I was
16, but it was accompanied by tragedy. My father passed away from a massive
stroke, leaving us devastated. However, this difficult time also marked a shift
in our circumstances. With public assistance and the ability of my siblings and
me to work, we finally had the means to put food on the table consistently.
As our situation improved, my mother, drawing from her
experience working in a hospital kitchen, instilled in me the importance of
maintaining a clean cooking environment. While her recipes tended to be bland
due to her professional background, this limitation sparked my curiosity and
creativity in the kitchen. I began experimenting with different recipes and
ingredients, gradually developing my culinary skills and passion for cooking.
Years later, when I had the joy of cooking alongside my
granddaughter, I discovered a new dimension to the culinary arts. She taught me
that cooking could be both fun and clean, adding a sense of joy and playfulness
to the kitchen that I hadn't experienced before.
The scars of childhood hunger, however, manifested in
unexpected ways as I grew older. My fear of experiencing starvation again led
me to keep an abundance of food around me at all times. This habit, while
comforting, resulted in weight gain and ongoing struggles with obesity. It's a
personal battle that I continue to face, a reminder of the complex relationship
between food, emotion, and past experiences.
Despite these challenges, or perhaps because of them, I've
found purpose in volunteering to feed children in need. This mission has become
a family tradition, bringing us together in service of others. By helping to
alleviate hunger in my community, I not only honor my own past but also work
towards ensuring that fewer children experience the pain of hunger that I once
knew.
Chiming Belle's Granddaughter Volunteering to Pack Food for the Hungry |
My journey from a hungry child to a passionate advocate for
feeding the hungry has been one of growth, learning, and healing. Through it
all, food has remained a central theme – a source of pain in my early years, a
creative outlet in my adulthood, and now a means of giving back to my
community. As I continue this journey, I remain committed to using my
experiences and love for cooking to make a positive impact on the lives of
others, one meal at a time.