Kaleigh’s first visit to the food bank at MSC was when she was 16 years old.
At that time, she was living with her aunt who became injured and unable to work. “It’s hard to come to the food bank, but you have to do what you have to do to survive,” says Kaleigh. Kaleigh describes her aunt as a “prideful girl” who didn’t want to reach out for help from anyone. When they arrived, Warehouse Manager Tammy explained the process and told them how much food out of each basket they could take based on their family size. “Tammy made it easier for my aunt because she showed her respect and told her that she wasn’t alone – there were so many others in her situation,” says Kaleigh.
Several months after their first visit to the food bank, Kaleigh moved out of her aunt’s home. In exchange for room and board at her new place, Kaleigh watched the homeowner’s children. Getting them onto the bus made her late for school, and eventually she stopped going. Kaleigh tried to take online courses, but watching the children made it impossible for her to study or focus, and she did not finish high school.
Now 23, and back at her aunt’s house after several moves, Kaleigh is enrolled in MSC’s GED Program. She is studying hard and hoping to take and pass all four content areas of the GED by April of this year. Kaleigh and her aunt continue to visit the food bank as needed, and you can often find Kaleigh helping out in the food bank prior to her GED preparation appointment.
“It makes things worse when people put you down. The way MSC treats you makes you feel more human. I want to do that for someone else,” shared Kaleigh. Kaleigh’s future plans include both doing something
