Senator Hassan Recognizes Kate Mikol of Bedford as April’s Granite Stater of the Month

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan recognized Kate Mikol of Bedford as April’s Granite Stater of the Month. When Kate was 10 years old, she and her siblings founded Fueled by Kids, a nonprofit that has been providing snacks and meals to Manchester-area kids for the past eight years.

After learning that food assistance can be one of the biggest ways to help families in Manchester struggling with homelessness, Kate and her siblings started assembling bags packed with healthy, kid-friendly foods to give to students at a local school. They grew their work into Fueled by Kids, and this year alone the organization has already given out more than 1,000 bags to those in need. Kate’s dedication to helping feed her community exemplifies the Granite State spirit of stepping up for one another – consistently and over time – at its best.

Senator Hassan launched the “Granite Stater of the Month” initiative in 2017 to recognize outstanding New Hampshire citizens who go above and beyond to help their neighbors and make their communities stronger. To nominate a New Hampshire citizen to be a “Granite Stater of the Month,” constituents can complete the nomination form here.

To read Senator Hassan’s statement for the Congressional Record, see below.

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 eight 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.

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