Years ago, as a single mum raising my young son, I found myself standing in line for free food at a charity that collected leftover groceries from supermarkets.
 

I felt grateful, but I felt disappointed and ashamed that I had to ask for help. It was hard to feel like all I could offer my son was whatever was left over.
 

Years later, I’m standing on my own two feet in a way I couldn’t then, and I want to give back to women and children facing the same struggles we did.
 

These days, I buy a beautiful box of fresh, organic fruit and veg that gets delivered to my door. Often, I think about what that delivery would have meant to me back then. If someone had gifted me quality fresh food that I otherwise couldn’t afford, I would have felt so blessed! It would have made a hard day a good day.
 

It’s a small thing, but small things can make a big difference.
 

If someone had said, “I want you and your son to have the same quality of food I give my own family,” I think it would have helped ease some of that shame. I would have felt valued and worth caring for.
 

The charities providing food relief do amazing work, and I’m still grateful for the help we received. That experience has made me want to carry on their generosity, by giving families in difficult circumstances the same good things we choose for ourselves.