The Shed That Fed A Million Children

The Shed That Fed A Million Children

Adult nonfiction
"We all agreed that the vision for Mary's Meals should be for
every child to receive a daily meal in their place of education.
Clearly there was a lot of work ahead of us. We just had to decide
where to begin."
Take a few minutes to think on school lunches as aspirational.
It's probably hard to imagine. Many of us have fond or not so fond
memories of cafeteria sloppy joes, burgers, and meat loaf, not to
mention plenty of jello, washed down by cartons of milk. Many of us
sent or are sending in lunch money and packing sandwiches and sides
when what's on the menu isn't a child's cup of tea.
In his The Shed That Fed A Million Children Magnus McFarlane-
Barrow takes us into a world where starving doesn't mean an hour until
dinner or nothing "good" in the fridge. There are no refrigerators,
electricity, or running water in the simple one room huts he's
visited. Bad harvests mean literally nothing to eat. Tribal warfare
can mean returning to a ruined home and weed choked fields to start
anew...maybe for the second or third time.
After years of raising money for and delivering goods to
impoverished and war-torn nations, Magnus had a visionary idea.
Perhaps children who had a meal at school would gain the nutrients
they needed to grow and thrive and the skills to support themselves in
the future. That was the inspiration for Mary's Meals, an
organization that provides over a million children on four continents
with daily meals. This seemingly simple program has drawn children to
school and improved attendence and achievement.
The Shed That Fed A Million Children is the fascinating story
behind this program. It's a must read these days when hopeful news is
so hard to find.
What do you take for granted that others are in need of? You
don't have to launch a movement. If all of us do community
volunteering or activism it will make a huge difference.
On a personal note, we're almost done getting Clean Sweep ready. All
the merchandise is in place. Today we're marking prices. Tomorrow we
open the doors to a mob of bargain seekers. Community garden is
looking beautiful. I am so happy to once again be playing in the
dirt. This year we're adding the little herb garden I wanted.
A great big shout out goes out to my clean sweep crew, the customers
whose purchasing will help finance Bodwell Center projects including
the student food pantry, and my this year's community garden family.
jules hathaway


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