Hunger Heroes: Raising the Next Generation of Helpers

Jamie and her husband, Jesse, welcomed their second child into a whirlwind of medical challenges. Born a micro-preemie, little baby Jason grew stronger by the day in the hospital while dad continued to work full-time to support the family. Jamie stayed by her son’s side, grateful for every milestone, while medical bills piled up.

“It takes a toll on your finances. We were starting to charge our food…our credit cards were too high.”

Jamie’s family stretched every dollar, and then their youngest daughter was born. Childcare was too costly, so Jamie made the only choice she could – she stayed home to take care of her three children.

“It's a season of life, and you won’t have little kids forever.”

Asking for help wasn’t easy, but it was becoming necessary. A local food pantry welcomed Jamie’s family with warmth and dignity, helping them regain stability. Because of generous supporters like you, her family was able to put food on the table. In that space, Jamie found her strength again.

She joined the Connecticut Foodshare Neighbor Council—an advocacy training program that teaches neighbors how food assistance works, why it matters, and empowers them to speak up so more families can access food assistance sooner.

Jamie became a powerful voice.

“Food insecurity isn’t black and white, and it’s not always who you think. There are pockets of hunger everywhere. It’s important to use our voice so people can gain the confidence to ask for the help they need.”

She’s passing that spirit of service on to her kids. “We’re trying to fight the stigma… we’re taking what we need.” And they’re giving back whenever they can. Her oldest, Charlotte, jumped at the chance to help rescue food from a local grocery store. She is proud to be part of a family that helps others.

Jamie and Jesse are raising the next generation of helpers—exactly what our Connecticut communities need—children growing up seeing kindness, resilience, service, and bravery modeled every day.