Maine resident and Mrs. Worldwide 2022 Misty Lee Coolidge believes everyone can help solve the problem of food insecurity, and on Jan. 5 she shared her message of hope with fourth-grade students at Manchester School in Windham.
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| Students in fourth grade at Manchester School in Windham learned more about hunger and food insecurity during a presentation by Mrs.Worldwide2002, Misty Coolidge of Maine. It was part of a block of instruction for students focusing on hunger issues in the community. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
Her appearance at Manchester School was part of a hunger unit offered this week with lessons in six different classrooms focused on teaching students about equity, scarcity, needs and wants, available resources and food insecurity.
“We invited Misty to show students that hunger is all around us and many are and have been affected by hunger insecurity,” said Melissa Azzaratta, a Manchester School fourth-grade teacher. “Misty has a wonderful children’s book that illustrates hunger through the eyes of a child that is very relatable to many children. We want students to know that there are many resources available to them and different ways they can help fight hunger.”
Azzaratta said teachers also wanted those who are faced with hunger and food insecurity to know that they are not alone.
“Misty’s book has really opened up the students’ eyes to see that hunger affects so many people,” she said. “The students were so excited after and had so much energy and ideas on what they can do to help.”
Two students in Stacey Sanborn’s fourth-grade class said that Coolidge’s presentation inspired them to learn more about hunger issues affecting Maine children and families.
Harrison Eskilson said that it is important to learn about food insecurity because local families need our help resolving hunger issues.
“This will raise awareness and some people might do something to help," he said.
Nala Nsengiyumva said that she "learned that not everyone has food, so we shouldn't waste food."
Coolidge, who lives in New Gloucester, said that her book explores the interconnectivity of all people, centered around our common need for sustenance.
“My hope in creating this book is to open up the dialogue between parents and children,” she said. “It’s a dialogue about where food comes from, the overwhelming cost of feeding a family, and the benefits of community service and giving back. We all stir the pot even though we don’t realize we’re holding a spoon.”
Some of Azzaratta’s students said that Coolidge’s visit to their school was meaningful and gave them plenty to think about.
“I learned that not everyone has the same food access as you,” said Abigail Baltos.
Her classmate, Colton Kalakowsky, said the significance of Coolidge’s presentation will resonate with students.
“This visit was important because there are so many hungry people and we need to help them,” Kalakowsky said.
Connor Wade said that he learned there should not be a stigma associated with food insecurity.
“You do not need to be ashamed if you’re in need of food,” he said.
As Mrs. Worldwide 2022 and formerly as Mrs. USA 2021, Misty travels around the country to help at local food banks through her #crushinghunger initiative in which she plans to volunteer across all 50 states. Even before she was involved in pageantry, Coolidge’s passion for fighting hunger has been evident for more than two decades in every community that she’s lived in, from Bangor to Portland, and through her volunteer efforts on behalf of the Good Shepherd Food Bank.
Her mission is personal, having grown up in a household in Maine with a single mom who worked three jobs to put food on the table and relied upon food stamps and the WIC program to survive. She told students that food insecurity is greater now than when she grew up.
“So many families are feeling the results of losing jobs, the cost of gas and groceries, and struggling to pay their utility bills. The numbers I’ve seen across the country in my travels are astounding and heart breaking,” Coolidge said. “Having little ones at home myself, I cannot imagine not being able to give them the food they need. There are people visiting food banks now that have never needed to use their services before. People need to know that there is help available and it's ok to get help."
She was born in Waterville, grew up in Norridgewock and went to Skowhegan Area High School. After graduation, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Pre-Law and was planning to attend law school after college but became a paralegal instead, working as an intellectual property paralegal at Preti Flaherty for seven years and then as a real estate paralegal for Dead River Company for 15 years.
Coolidge now helps run the Coolidge Family Farm in New Gloucester and Coolidge Chapel in Gray. In 2021, Maine’s Good Shepherd Food Bank created an Ambassadorship program and made Coolidge their very first Ambassador.
Azzaratta thanked Coolidge for her visit to the school and said she expects Manchester School students to get more involved in alleviating food insecurity in the community because of her presentation.
“We are really excited to continue this hunger unit to open up some really rich discussions and give students the opportunity to help,” she said. <
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