It seems I struck a chord with The Power of One, posted two weeks ago. Today I’d like to share with you the compelling story of ONE child.
From Seedlings to Servings: 11-Year-Old Grows Tons of Veggies for the Homeless
When Katie Stagliano was in third grade, she planted a cabbage in her family’s small garden. When it grew to an astounding 40 pounds, she donated it to a soup kitchen, where it was made into meals for 275 people (with the help of ham and rice). “I thought, ‘Wow, with that one cabbage I helped feed that many people?'” says Katie, now entering sixth grade. “I could do much more than that.”
So Katie started planting vegetable gardens as part of her nonprofit Katie’s Krops — she has six right now — including one the length of a football field at her school in her hometown of Summerville, S.C. Classmates, her family and other people in the community help plant and water, and Bonnie Plants donates seedlings. This past year, Katie took her commitment to a new level: she has given soup kitchens over 2,000 pounds of lettuce, tomatoes and other vegetables. Katie and her helpers are now harvesting the spring planting, and another 1,200 pounds will be donated by October.
If you’d like to read the rest of Katie’s story, click here. Katie doesn’t stop with a ‘few’ veggies!
Food for thought: Why do we get the idea that there is no power in one? If an 8-year-old can see a need, meet it, get inspired, and start a campaign that makes a difference to hundreds (if not more!), why are we so afraid to step out of our boxes and take one tiny step?
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by tchetcha and valeriecomer, Ana Vicente Ferreira. Ana Vicente Ferreira said: RT @valeriecomer The Power of One…Child: http://bit.ly/bQmWi3 <— Lovely read for a Monday morning. […]