[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 30, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S3077]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO KATE MIKOL

 Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, I am honored to recognize Kate 
Mikol of Bedford as April's Granite Stater of the Month. She and her 
siblings founded Fueled by Kids, a nonprofit that provides snacks and 
meals to Manchester-area students, after they learned that many kids 
their age can't get reliable meals over the weekend. Now 18, Kate 
serves as the general manager of the organization.
  Kate and her siblings started Fueled by Kids after learning about 
families struggling with homelessness in Manchester. After speaking to 
a social worker, they learned that one of the biggest ways to help 
these families is to provide food assistance. They learned that food 
insecurity can cause immense stress for children and can make it 
difficult for them to focus on schoolwork. Kate and her siblings were 
surprised to hear that some students don't even want to go home for the 
weekend because they don't have breakfast and lunch like they have at 
school. After learning how widespread food insecurity is, they started 
assembling bags packed with healthy, kid-friendly foods to give to 
students at a local school.
  Fueled by Kids has now provided these bags and other food assistance 
to kids for the past 8 years. As general manager of Fueled by Kids, 
Kate helps organize volunteers, speaks with social workers and 
principals, and helps spread the word about the organization. She is 
also very involved with the organization's summer programs to help 
bridge the gap between school years, when students may lose access to 
the daily breakfasts and lunches that they have during the school year. 
Kate also started a club at her high school to help get more students 
involved; over time, the organization has grown--now serving 21 public 
schools in the Manchester area. This year, the organization has already 
given out more than 1,000 bags.
  Kate's dedication to helping children in need is truly admirable. The 
work that she and her siblings have undertaken by starting and 
operating Fueled by Kids reflects the Granite State spirit of stepping 
up for one another--consistently and over time--at its best. I am 
honored to name her Granite Stater of the Month.

                          ____________________