GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Back in October, Pablo Sanchez stood before a crowd at City Built Brewing Company at an event called “Unfiltered,” which allows people to tell authentic stories without judgment. His hand trembled and he became choked up telling the crowd about his own experiences with food insecurity and how they led him to be the executive director at a food pantry.
“I am a first generation Mexican American. I am the proud son of migrant field-working parents. I was the kid who fell asleep on the fields, losing the rakes. My parents still remind me, even though it’s been 29 years. My parents gave up everything to come to this country, so that I could have something. They gave up everything so that I could dream beyond circumstances,” he said.
“That’s why at SECOM, the place that I get to lead, we believe that every act of kindness is like planting a seed – a small, hopeful beginning, that with care, can grow into something beautiful, nourishing, and life-changing. But right now, the soil of our community here in Kent County, the 49507 [zip code] specifically, where we do the work as a food pantry, we’re struggling.”…