I stepped up on the porch, and the weathered, splintered wood creaked beneath my feet. I rang the doorbell and waited. I was in an unfamiliar part of town that felt disconnected from any community. It was distant from grocery stores and shops, the houses here were worn and tattered, and the yards were overgrown. I realized how fortunate the area I lived in was. I rang again, no answer. I knocked, no answer. Then, a faint, frail voice came from within the house: “Hold on, I'm coming.” I was relieved. The lady who answered the door was in a wheelchair. Struggling with mobility, she had me open the door for her and bring her box of meals into her home. Meeting and talking with Ms. Ann grew my respect for everyone’s struggles, but I knew being grateful wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to bring change to my community, and delivering meals was just the start. I found my passion for helping others. My high school introduced the IB Middle Years Program project in the first semester of my sophomore year. My favorite idea was creating a fun run as I enjoyed running in 5k races as a kid. I wanted to find a purpose for my fun run so it could impact my community. When brainstorming, I remembered my experience with Ms. Ann, where I saw the severe consequences of food insecurity. I reflected and recognized how fortunate I was. I never had to worry about where my next meal would come from or if I’d have any food. My empathy and desire to make a difference gave me the great idea to make my fun run project a fundraiser for Open Hand Atlanta. I named the fundraiser Miles for Meals. I sent out invites and had all race ticket fees and extra contributions go toward my large donation to Open Hand Atlanta. I even created a website to hold information and made a T-shirt for all of the participants. Race day was a cold, dry morning in February. Even though only eight of the twenty expected runners showed up, I appreciated those who committed to running in the freezing weather. Despite the cold, the runners were in high spirits. The runners’ liveliness helped me see the power of unity around a good cause. I valued how this sense of unity could connect and improve our community. In the race, my sister ran across the line first with our puppy, who gave me some slobbery victory kisses. The low turnout made the event seem underwhelming, but we still raised $1,200 for Open Hand Atlanta! I realized that even if plans don’t turn out exactly how I envision them, they can still succeed or provide a valuable lesson to grow from. When I learned my fundraiser’s donation provided around 700 meals to those in need, it made my heart smile. On the car ride home, I couldn’t help but think about doing the event again and getting more people involved. Fortunately, I was able to put on another Miles for Meals event during my senior year. I plan to continue Miles for Meals to fight food insecurity. I would like to repurpose my fundraiser for my college community and those around it. In college, I plan to get involved in clubs or activities that can help with problems like food insecurity and improve other’s lives. Most importantly, I want to continue this idea with my career. I want to be something that can give me this powerful feeling of helping others and making a difference in other’s lives.