I grew up on welfare in a tiny town called Roseburg, Oregon. We were so poor that I had to hunt deer and elk to put meat on my family’s table, and endured the taunts of my classmates when I lined up for free lunches in the school cafeteria. My parents did the best they could for my four older sisters and me, but as a boy I ate more government-provided Spam than I care to remember!

Today, I am truly a blessed man. I have all the comforts that material possessions can provide but, more importantly, I have a supportive family that loves me. The lessons I learned as that poor boy in Roseburg have stayed with me my entire life, and I hope some of them will have meaning for you, too.