Story via familybusiness.org

Kaela Hammerstrom Combs is the second generation to run a national organization founded by her mother decades ago — Blessings in a Backpack, which works through schools to distribute backpacks filled with food to students in need on Fridays. The provisions help the students and their families get through the weekend. The organization now serves students around the country and has garnered support and funding from large corporations and local businesses.

While her mother passed away 15 years ago, Combs is committed to continuing her legacy of helping other families. In this interview, she shares how she honors her mom by educating skeptics in the community about hunger in their midst, forming partnerships with businesses and community groups to gather the resources and funding for her program, and the impact her family’s mission has had on the children and their families. Her experience holds great lessons for any family-run business or organization that hopes to continue the founder’s spirit and mission in the next generation.