It occurred to me that a food drive would be a natural way to talk to kids about hunger, which so many of them simply aren't aware of.

I hate to witness animals in captivity - or see circus elephants paraded down the streets. When animals are caged, it's a loss of what they are.

I hope kids feel gratitude for what they do have.

One of my first paid gigs was writing psychology quizzes for 'YM,' a monthly teen magazine like 'Seventeen.'

When we have financial struggles, kids are so much more aware of things than we want them to be.

I was sure I wanted to grow up to be either a veterinarian or a writer. In fact, I worked for a vet during high school, doing everything from cleaning cages to assisting in surgery.