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Lauren McCallum
October is a month I have long been looking forward to this year—both personally and professionally. Aside from this being my favorite time of year, I have been eager to support the fifth annual $100,000 Ending Hunger Challenge and see what impact our movement can have on Maine’s hungry population in just one month. We’re halfway through, and I am already astounded by the constant uptick in contributions, social media engagement, and genuine care for the Challenge—and more importantly, for those struggling in our communities. The work I get to do every day for the Campaign for Ending Hunger is by far the most gratifying part of my role here at the League, and I am so incredibly thankful to work a job that is so focused on uplifting others.
When I first joined the credit union movement right out of college in 2021, I instantly knew something felt different than it had in any of my previous jobs. I’ve worked in customer service since my first job, and even worked as a seasonal teller at a community bank through college, but in working with credit unions I felt a clear shift. The focus was not solely on member service to increase profits, but member service to genuinely support both the individuals served as well as the larger community. This idea of people over profits spoke to me deeply, even when I was interviewing for this role three years ago. Joining the League felt like everything was falling into place.
Even back in high school, I remember telling people who asked me what I wanted to do with my life: “I want to start a nonprofit.” From a young age, my dad instilled in me the importance of serving and giving back to the community—even in small ways. If we are fortunate enough to have all that we need and more, we should share what we can with others—with our time, our hearts, and/or our money. To land in a position after college where a large part of my job is supporting the Campaign for Ending Hunger is nothing short of a dream for me. The fact that I get to work every day to help our movement put food in the hands of those who need it most is both surreal and so incredibly rewarding—especially for that younger version of me who just wanted to help those who struggled to help themselves. Sometimes, all a person needs is the kindness, graciousness, and compassion of even one other person. Acts of selflessness can be a defining turning point in the lives of those facing unimaginable struggle.
The Campaign for Ending Hunger is an extraordinary effort supported by every single credit union in our state. How all Maine credit unions collectively come together to provide crucial supports and services to the state’s food insecure population only speaks to the way our movement lives and breathes People Helping People. If we were not a people-driven industry and instead a profit-driven industry, so many more individuals would be going without the essential nutrition they need to survive and thrive.
Oscar Wilde once said, “The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.” By understanding this in the context of giving back to our communities—both locally and statewide—it’s incredibly apparent how one small act can make a world of difference. If we are all trying just a little bit every day, every week, or every month to do just one small thing for someone else, we will collectively contribute to a better, happier, stronger community overall.
We each cannot and will not end hunger individually; hunger is a widespread beast to tackle. But by combining our efforts, all our individual acts of kindness add up to a long-lasting, immense effect on those within our communities struggling to meet basic nutritional needs.
So, I challenge you: make your contribution—big or small—to support the $100,000 Ending Hunger Challenge. Even if you cannot give monetarily, find a spare hour to volunteer at a local soup kitchen; coordinate a food drive; or simply share information with your friends, family, and social media groups about the Campaign for Ending Hunger and the $100,000 Challenge. Donations as small as $1 can provide two healthy meals for those in need, but spreading the word about the realities many Mainers face with food insecurity allows more and more people to gain understanding and support in their own ways. Small acts are cumulative, and when added together, they have the capacity to enact serious change.
Beyond the Challenge, I encourage you to continue finding ways to give back. Look for community volunteering opportunities. Sign up for employee payroll deductions in support of a charity if your organization offers it. Pick up trash along the side of the road or at the beach. Share information about community initiatives and events. Find random acts of kindness you can do on a regular basis. Whatever you may be drawn to, I hope you will carry the spirit of helping others with you. After all, we are all People Helping People just trying to make our little corner of the world a better place for all to be. We may not think our small actions can make a huge impact, but it may be the drop of hope someone needs to get through another day. Small acts of kindness and selflessness lend themselves to grander and more beautiful things, for us all as individuals and as a larger community. No act of kindness goes to waste. I can’t imagine a better reason for extending kindness than to help someone—even one person—feel less alone in fighting the struggles they may or may not talk about.
How do you plan to leave drops of hope for a better tomorrow?