• Rebecca Coffin is the owner of Hailey's Kitchen Cafe & Bakery in Windham, Maine. • She's offering free meals to those about to lose SNAP benefits due to the government shutdown. • She's had an outpouring of offers to help fund free meals.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with bakery owner Rebecca Coffin. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I am interested in feeding people. It's what I've done my whole life.

My first job was bussing tables, and then I ended up traveling around the US as a young woman, working in restaurants and learning my craft.

I then came back to Maine and started a family. And now I get to help my community with the business I started with my son.

I founded a bakery and café with my son

My son was struggling in school and had a lot of

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