Marlena Hanson is the epitome of a hardworking mom. A proud member of the White Earth Ojibwe community in Minnesota, she works two jobs while raising her five kids. One of her jobs is with All Nations Rise, where she helps indigenous parents become advocates in the community. She also develops activity boxes to teach Ojibwe culture to indigenous children, sits on multiple boards and is a full-time student of social work at Bemidji State University.
It’s a lot of work, but she is energized by her kids. In the past, Hanson struggled with addiction. She remembers not being part of her kids’ lives in those difficult years.
“I really had to change my whole mindset in the way that I wanted to carry myself in the world,” Hanson shared. “And so it's given me a super positive outlook and just a drive to succeed, especially coming from rock bottom at one point… My kids inspire me every day. What really drives me is being able to hear [my oldest daughter] say, ‘I’m so proud of you.’”
Even working two jobs, it can be challenging to make it to the end of the month. Hanson and her family live in a rural community, where groceries are expensive. The situation is harder in the summer when her kids are not in school and she has to provide for all of their meals.
“The food part, especially with them growing older, it does get hard to be able to provide food all the time, or at least the food that they want,” she said.
Hanson’s story is not unique—families across America, particularly in rural and indigenous communities, struggle with the same challenges: stretching limited resources, providing nutritious meals, and making sacrifices to ensure their children thrive. These stories reveal how crucial nutrition assistance programs can be to families.
Starting last year, families like Hanson’s began receiving SunBucks (also known as the Summer-EBT program), which provides an extra $120 per child during summer months to buy groceries.
For Hanson, the support came just at the right time. “It honestly was really, really helpful,” she explained. “It came at a time when we were having to think about back-to-school clothes and things like that. So when that money came in, it was able to provide meals so I could use the money that we did have towards getting 'em the school clothes to be able to start school. So it definitely helped out a lot. I would like to see it continue.”
Summer-EBT continues to be an organizational priority for the No Kid Hungry campaign, and the program is essential to achieving our goal of ensuring kids have access to food 365 days a year. As the program enters its second year, it’s important for us to continue to work with local state agencies and community organizations to expand the reach of the program and ensure all eligible families are able to access it. The program has already helped tens of millions of kids.
Even in the middle of winter, preparing for summer hunger right now can ensure kids have the summer they deserve, one with dignity and where they can just be kids.
In December 2024, Hanson was invited to speak at the No Kid Hungry’s Summer Nutrition Summit. With an audience of decision-makers in attendance, she was able to share the importance of the program and ways to improve it. She knows these advocacy efforts matter for her kids and their dreams.
Hanson’s 10-year-old daughter is unsure of what she wants to be when she grows up. But today, she loves drawing and recently started wrestling.
“She's definitely a mom in her own way,” Hanson shared. “She likes to take reins over her siblings. I know that she likes to help people, so I could foresee her going into the social services type field.”
The rest of Hanson’s kids dream of being doctors and astronauts. They are also eager to participate in their first powwow and celebrate their culture with their mom. On her part, Hanson wants them to understand that in the Ojibwe community, food is more than just sustenance; it’s a symbol of unity and care.
"The way that Anishinaabe people are in my community, it’s a lot around food,” she shared. “You never let somebody go hungry. You never say no when people are hungry or when people need food."
Together, we can live this vision and ensure No Kid Hungry is a reality for all kids across America.
Ways You Can Help
- Donate: $1 can help provide 10 meals* for kids. Your support will help us fund meal programs all over the country and help us advocate for policies that will help kids get the meals they need. *Donations help support programs that feed kids; No Kid Hungry does not provide individual meals. Learn more at NoKidHungry.org/OneDollar.
- Speak up for kids: Reach out to your elected officials and ask them to do more to end childhood hunger. Tell your lawmaker to advocate for policies that will help kids get the meals they need.
