Lacking Enough to Go Around

Matt is a junior at an area high school. He lives with his mom and two younger brothers. His mom works hard but it's difficult to pay rent, bills and health insurance and still have enough to feed her three boys. A school counselor noticed that Matt was always the last student to pick up his weekend meal bag provided by Feed My People. After some conversation, Matt shared that he came last so if there were any extra meals he could take those home too. He confided that his family needed the food and he often went without so his younger brothers could have enough.

The compassion and responsibility Matt feels for his younger brother is inspiring but at Feed My People we do not believe this is the answer. Our teens are growing physically, mentally and emotionally into the adults of the future. Lack of consistent, healthy nutrition cannot be the reason that they do not succeed.

At FMP, we are working with others in our community to strengthen existing and develop new strategies to better serve local teens. Some of these strategies include forming school food pantries, creating additional distribution sites at locations that are comfortable for teens, and educating teens on the resources that are already available to them in the community.

Your commitment to FMP and the work we do helps to make a difference for Matt, his brother and their mom. Thank you!