Kim Emch

Challenging Children to Dream:
Overcoming Poverty through Entrepreneurship

Watch her TED Talk

Founder and Executive Director of SON Ministries

Kim Emch likes a free lunch. Not for herself, but for the 3,000+ children in her suburban town of Hilliard who are living in poverty. In 2007 Kim founded the Hilliard Free Summer Lunch Program to silence the rumbling tummies in her community. As this program grew to a year-round ministry partnering with children and families facing poverty in a suburban setting, she founded Serving Our Neighbors (SON) Ministries in March of 2009 to help families move out of poverty.

Anyone can cause positive change in the world and inspiration can come from anywhere. Kim Emch had never planned on combatting suburban poverty. The day she learned that there were children living in poverty in her community she knew she had to help. Kim didn’t know anything about starting a free summer lunch camp and she doubted she was qualified to do so. But her spark of inspiration was so powerful that it overcame all her fears and doubts and she jumped in and did it. Kim shares humorous stories and experiences about from her 10 year journey. What started as a program to feed hungry children in Hilliard has grown to offering programs that help children and families climb out of poverty.