GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The founder of Kids' Food Basket in Grand Rapids is sharing her story of determination.
Mary K. Hoodhood just released her first book, a memoir titled What I Can Do. The title carries a very special meaning.
"What I can do" was the mantra Mary repeated to herself following a 1980 crash. It left her paralyzed at just 27 years old.
“I have a c4/5 spinal cord injury,” says Mary. “And so the book starts out [with] me waking up in the hospital and all the coping skills that I had to develop to be able to muddle through.”
Those coping skills helped her rise above. It was that moment she decided to use her ability to focus on the positive and help others.
Fast-forward to 2002 when Mary received a call while working at God's Kitchen.
“Marian Presenchenko was that at that time a principal at Straight School, caught a little girl digging through the trash looking for food to take home to her family,” Mary recalls.
Not long after, with just $3,000 and a handful of volunteers, Kids' Food Basket began. At the time, the nonprofit served just 125 children in Kent County.
Now, two decades later, it provides more than 10,000 meals each weekday to kids in not only Kent County but also Muskegon, Ottawa and Allegan counties.
“Our work’s not done yet,” Mary adds. “Childhood hunger is unfortunately alive and still living in some places. But … with the help of the community, we've really risen to the task.”
Mary, and the principal who called her, recently celebrated the nonprofit's 20-year anniversary. She's the one who encouraged her to write a book.
“She said, ‘You know, people need some hope in their lives. They need to look at situations and not see the grim part of life,’” Mary recalls. “And she said, ‘You can convey that.’ So I did.”
Mary remains on the board for Kids' Food Basket and has been recognized several times for her work.
In fact, former President Barack Obama presented her with the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2010, the highest civilian award in the country.
The memoir, What I Can Do, is available online. Proceeds will support Kids' Food Basket.
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