Katie Borgman, a member of our IT department who has held several roles in the organization, shared some of her experiences working for the campaign and also why she is a monthly donor.
I have worked at No Kid Hungry for nearly seven years and six years ago, I decided to become a monthly donor. Part of that decision came from my job—I work closely with our donor database, ensuring a smooth experience for our supporters. I realized that if I was trying to make the system work well for others, I should walk in their shoes and experience it for myself.
But the real reason I give monthly is because not all kids have access to three meals a day, and I feel good knowing that my ongoing support helps kids get the essential meals they need. I know I’m making a real difference, day after day.
I grew up in rural America in a town that did not have a grocery store. I had enough on my plate as a child, but not all of my classmates did.
In addition to the financial pressure of the groceries themselves, there was an additional burden of that extra time and gas money it took to even get to a grocery store where I was raised. All the kids I knew to be struggling had parents who were employed full-time and worked harder than anyone else I knew, so the mythology of poverty as a personal failing rang hollow to me at a very young age. I got old enough to be mad about it, and then I got old enough to do something about it. Working for No Kid Hungry, whose name is its mission statement, makes it pretty easy to remember why I do what I do.
Why Monthly Donations Matter
Working “backstage” as I do, I don’t always get a front row seat to the impact we’re making. I rely on stories from my colleagues and I never miss a blog post detailing the ways No Kid Hungry is changing lives. These testaments really do soothe my soul.
Throughout my years working here, I have seen our impact in ways big and small. Whether it’s creating major policy change, helping provide summer meals to kids in rural areas, or helping schools operate successful meals programs, making sure no kid goes hungry is at the heart of what we do.
One thing I do have the privilege of witnessing firsthand is how willing people are to help their neighbors when things get tough. So many of our donors have deeply personal connections to the issue of childhood hunger and will share them unprompted in their donations, both large and small.
Ongoing donations allow us to more accurately plan for the future and project what kinds of programs we will have money to support, and it better equips us to weather changes in the financial situation of an individual donor.
Monthly and recurring gifts support a diverse and determined community - cafeteria workers, teachers, school bus drivers, parents, grandparents, and others - who work every single day to make sure no child in their community lacks food.
Help ensure kids get the meals they need to build a brighter future. Become a monthly or recurring donor today.
