My passion for feeding hungry kids began when I was just a child.
In 1951, my family and I moved from Halifax to the small village of Chezzetcook on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia.
My five siblings and I grew up knowing that we weren’t wealthy, but we also knew we weren’t poor. My parents always made sure we had food. My father, Al, was of mixed heritage, Acadian and Mi’kmaw and came from a huge family. He raised us the way he had been raised and was always welcoming people into our home and to our table. Everyone took care of one another.
In Chezzetcook’s tiny two-room schoolhouse, there were lots of empty tummies.
My mom, Marg, couldn’t stand the idea of hungry kids. She arranged to make sure that each child got a teaspoon of cod-liver oil every day to boost their nutrition. (Let me remind you that it wasn’t in a pill at that time!)
As I got older, my mom started a milk program. She convinced a local dairy to supply little cartons of milk to every student. If you could pay then a carton of milk was $0.10. If you couldn’t pay, you got your carton of milk anyways.
Feeding people—particularly children—has always been a priority for me. When I saw Backpack Buddies, I knew that I wanted to be involved. I give monthly to continue my family’s legacy of always welcoming a hungry child to the table.
Linda is a part of The Friday Club — our family of monthly donors.
For just $80 per month, you can provide a child with meals and snacks to last them the weekend and beyond — every weekend.