Growing up as the daughter of a minister, meals were a time when the whole family sat together and    talked about the day. Everyone had their assigned seat and their role in the meal. Our mother would cook, the children would set the table, our father would say grace, and the children cleaned up. My unofficial role was “the complainer” of what was for dinner. I was a picky eater and incredibly strong-willed so my parents would ignore my complaints, and often, I would make it through dinner barely eating.

I would go to bed thinking about the injustice of the world. Why should I have to eat something I don’t like? My mother and father talked to me about children who did not have enough to eat. As a young child, I did not understand how this could be, so I assumed it was a story my parents told me to get me to eat my dinner. I would have been happy to send my food to those hungry kids.

Obviously, as I matured I began to see that the “stories” that our parents told us about people not having enough to eat, about children truly going to bed hungry, about parents who didn’t eat so they could feed their children, were true. Shortly after we had our child, I was asked to consider joining the Foodbank. I must admit that it was not something I had ever considered, however there was something about feeding children and their families that drew me to the cause.

Nearly nineteen years later, feeding children and families is what keeps me here. I am so proud of our community and its tremendous efforts to ensure that our neighbors have access to healthy, nutritious foods. Together we have made great strides in providing fresh fruits and vegetables, protein, and dairy. We are continually exploring ways to increase the variety of foods that we offer, as well as distribution methods to target populations that may be difficult to reach.

As we look toward the future, we thank you for your role at the dinner table.  So many have answered the call to feed our children and their families – our neighbors. Your generosity, your compassion, your willingness to tell the story, have all led to a more hopeful future.

Pam Molitoris
Executive Director