Why I built Second Table.

Hey, I'm Drew Jimenez, a senior at Georgetown Preparatory School in Rockville, Maryland. What surprises a lot of people, due to my lighter skin tone, is that half of my family comes from Margarita, an island just off the coast of Venezuela.

I've always felt attached to where I'm from — but with the country's political and economic state plummeting under corruption, I've never been able to visit for my own safety. I spent years thinking I would never be able to repay the sacrifice my full-blooded grandfather made: sailing to the U.S. and leaving his family behind for a better life, at just 17.

Then, while visiting food shelters with my mom, I met a few men and women who came from around the same region and were struggling here. I realized there was a way to give back to my origins — many of them were on the very streets I walked every day.

That was my inspiration for this website. It's something I can live for, knowing I made some kind of impact — and a start to paying back my grandparents and parents for the constant sacrifices they've endured to make sure I'm in the best position to find happiness.