Every Saturday for the month of November, Figarelle’s Fitness is going to have a “Boot Camp for a Cause.” This is our opportunity to give back to our community and help those who may need a little extra support. We have chosen to donate to Kid’s Kitchen, a non-profit organization that provides free, healthy meals to kids and families in Anchorage.
We believe that everyone should have access to healthy food each day, and Kid’s Kitchen provides just that. We are asking each Boot Camper to donate a minimum of $10 each session. All proceeds will be donated to Kid’s Kitchen. Feel free to bring a friend or family member so we can share this experience with others and inspire everyone to give back!
Why Kid’s Kitchen? As some of you may or many not already know, Lela grew up in an orphanage in Kazan, Russia. She was adopted by a family in Sitka, AK and left Russia in 1997 at the age of 10. While growing up in the orphanage, Lela rarely had access to healthy food and proper healthcare. She spent most of her childhood in and out of the hospital because she was severely malnourished.
Lela, as a child in the orphanage. All of the kids had numbers on their clothing.
Meat and other protein sources were scarce in the orphanage and the lack of adequate protein, vitamins and minerals significantly contributed to malnutrition. Only when a child was severely ill would they be able to consume meat, otherwise they mainly subsisted on Borsch, a type of Russian soup made with beetroot and cabbage. Lela sometimes went hungry as there often wasn’t enough food to go around for every child.
We live in the United States where it’s easy to believe that malnutrition and food scarcity issues don’t exist. Unfortunately, at the end of every day about 17 million kids go to bed hungry in the U.S. Most of us grew up with plenty of food on our tables, but that’s not reality for everyone. Because of Lela’s humble beginnings we feel a strong desire to reach out and help kids. Lela’s past drives our WHY for helping those less fortunate than us.
“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” – John Bunyan
Please consider joining us every Saturday for the month of November and help us show the kids in our community that there are people out there who care and who are willing to step up and make a difference in the lives of those who need an extra boost. Our small gesture compounded over time will make a dramatic difference in the life of each of these kids.