Happy Birthday to my nephew Lain! It is his third birthday and today I donated $25.00 in his name to Second Harvest. For every dollar donated, Second Harvest will turn it into TWO nutritious meals for “men, women, or children who would otherwise go hungry.” So that means 50 individuals will receive a nutritious meal to eat!

When I first came across this organization, I decided to volunteer with them (and also because that’s all I could really afford to do). The history of this organization is simple:

It all started in 1985 when two local women, Ina Andre and Joan Clayton, saw that good food was being thrown away while people were going hungry right here in Toronto. This contradiction didn’t sit well with them so they decided to do something about it. (Source)

Today, I choose to donate in my nephew’s name because I want him to know how lucky he is to have a mother who works very hard to provide him with a happy and healthy life. Many recipient agencies of Second Harvest’s efforts are in fact single mothers who are in a time of need or are fleeing domestic abuse. When I was 18 years old, I stayed in a women’s shelter after leaving an abusive relationship and needed a safe place to stay. Much like these women of recipient agencies of Second Harvest, I saw, first hand, how women, especially single mothers, strived to provide a happy and healthy life for their own children.

This gift in my nephew’s name is a gift to both his mom, my sister, for her hard work as a single mother, and to Lain to let him know how special he is to all of us!

Happy Birthday Lain!