In this episode of Real People Real Lives, I sit down with Jack Pflanz for an honest conversation about growing up in extreme poverty, facing childhood food insecurity, and how those early experiences shaped the course of his life.

Jack shares how living without consistent access to food as a child eventually inspired him to dedicate much of his adult life to helping others — from running his own food show, The Jack And Mo Cooking Show, with his daughter, to organizing food drives to his current work with Erin's Angels of CNY, a nonprofit focused on fighting childhood hunger.

In addition, Jack opens up about living for years with an undiagnosed learning disability and attention deficit disorder, how it affected his education, career, and personal relationships, and the coping mechanisms and support systems that ultimately helped him move forward.

This episode is about resilience, purpose, advocacy, and what can happen when someone turns their own struggles into a mission to help others.

You can find out more about Erin's Angels Of CNY here:

www.erinsangels.com

Or Like and Follow their Facebook page Erin's Angels Of CNY

In our very first episode, I sit down with Ron Klopfanstein, a multimedia journalist, educator, radio host, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome survivor. He hosts Hot Seat: Media Monday on 95.5 FM The Heat in Utica, NY, covering local stories, community voices, and issues that matter. His work is driven by a passion for communication, connection, and telling stories that deserve to be heard.