Donor Story: Murphy Family

How did summerlunch+ become part of our family’s story?

It started with my grandfather. He was on the board of TNO and helped support summerlunch+ when it was just getting off the ground. My mom actually encouraged Susan to reach out to him as she believed they might share a vision and thought he’d be able to help her out. She was right. That connection was the beginning of something lasting, and over time, our family’s relationship with summerlunch+ grew. Now I’m the third generation involved. I started as a volunteer, donated last winter, and this summer I’m working with the team through the Canada Summer Jobs program. It’s come full circle.

What about their work speaks to each of us personally?

For my grandfather, it was about helping build something meaningful from the ground up. For my mom, it was recognizing the power of Susan’s vision and wanting to help make the right connections to support it. For me, it’s the way summerlunch+ meets immediate needs while also standing up for long-term change. Unlike other food security programs, it is not just about food. It’s about education, creativity, and community. That really speaks to me.

What do we hope our *encouragement to summerlunch+* says to others?

We hope it says that showing up in different ways. Whether through time, ideas, connections, or donations, but sharing the goal of growth. Our family’s encouragement has taken different forms over the years: making introductions, lending support, volunteering, spreading awareness. We want others to see that encouragement doesn’t have to be loud or flashy to be meaningful. It just has to be real, and consistent. We hope it inspires others to believe in an organization’s potential and to actively support it however they can.

What does it mean to be a three-generation donor family?

It means our values are woven across generations and that we’ve found something worth carrying forward. I can imagine for my grandfather he feels a sense of pride that the issues he helped be seen are now being carried further and supported through this granddaughter in a way. I choose to be part of this because I believe in it. Just like my grandfather did. Just like my mom did.