He did not want families to believe they had failed simply because they needed assistance.
And he never wanted another child to believe that stealing was the only way to feed a sick parent.
At the opening of the initiative’s first community center, Adam stood before a small crowd.
His mother sat in the front row.
Her hair had turned gray.
Her hands moved more slowly than before.
But her eyes shone with pride.
Beside her sat Thomas Reed, who had become one of the center’s regular volunteers.
There were teachers, local business owners, social workers, and families who had received assistance.
Adam stepped toward the microphone.
“When I was fifteen years old,” he began, “I made a terrible decision.”
The room became quiet.
“I stole a loaf of bread because my mother was sick and we had almost nothing to eat.”
He paused.
“I was frightened. I was ashamed. And I believed the whole world would remember me only as a thief.”
