I took a break from coding on this site this past Saturday Night, was just veggin in front of the flat screen at the Farm and was tuned to Direct TV’s News Mix channel, pretending that watching 6 separate news feeds simultaneously was not a bad thing to do, having a beer.
Low and Behold, a CNN tease caught my attention. It was about the power of an individual to make a difference, even if a bit tipsy. As I was a bit tipsy, and punch drunk from about 20 hours straight at the computer, doing what i do, I unmuted the box and paid attention after ignoring the interrupting commercial message.
Sure enough, they were not spinning anything about this segment. In all honesty, CNN apparently puts some thought into this weekly feature.
Well to put it simply, I was stunned, a group of pint drinking Fish Farmers, which we do here at the farm on a micro basis, had the following story to tell.( Humility was surging from these men.)
A genuine evening out, a few pints later, the start of a “BIG THUNK”.
That was 1992 and now take a look at the results. Global help for hungry children by people with no agenda whatsoever. Simply following through on an idea most of us would have either forgotten or discarded by the next day and been about our “work”.
What follows is excerpted from the CNN site of the segment. The Links to it as well as several additional sites follow the bit I borrowed from the CNN site.
Please never discount the ability of serendipity to enlighten us all, you never know unless you try. I sincerely hope that this is of interest to you.
We at the farm are doing our research and it is our intention to support this effort in whatever way possible, starting with the words you are reading now. So, here it is :
CNN Heroes – From beer-fueled brainstorm to life’s work of helping others
Main points :
1,) Scotsman was at a pub in 1992 when he got the idea to help victims in war-torn Bosnia
2.) A trip to deliver food, clothing and blankets led to a life’s work of helping others.
3.) After working in Malawi in 2002, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow started Mary’s Meals.
4.) Today, the program provides free meals to more than 400,000 children in 15 countries. ( yes they operate in the U.S. also )
“Argyll, Scotland (CNN) — Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow was enjoying a pint at his local pub in the Scottish Highlands when he got an idea that would change his life — and the lives of thousands of others…
It was 1992, and MacFarlane-Barrow and his brother Fergus had just seen a news report about refugee camps in Bosnia. The images of people suffering in the war-torn country shocked the two salmon farmers, who’d visited there as teenagers and remembered the warmth of the Bosnian people…
“We began saying ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could just do one small thing to help?’ ” MacFarlane-Barrow says…
After talking it over, the two men took a week off work and collected food, clothing, medicine and blankets. They loaded everything into an old Land Rover, drove to Bosnia to deliver it and returned to Scotland…
MacFarlane-Barrow is driven by his Christian faith, but there is no ministry aspect to his work. “We are very careful to never link feeding and faith,” he says. “We serve those who are in need … period.”…
“When I think of Mary’s Meals I think of it as a series of lots and lots of little acts of love, ” he says. “I’ve learned … that every small act of kindness does make a difference.”…
Want to get involved? Check out the Mary’s Meals websites at http://www.marysmeals.org and http://www.marysmealsusa.org and see how to help.”
Original source : http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/08/12/cnnheroes.marysmeals/index.html
Additional Ways to Feed Your Head :
Teacher Support – http://teachersupport.info/scotland/get-involved/Mary-s-Meals.php
“If you would be interested in helping Mary’s Meal’s to produce these materials, please contact imogen.walsh@marysmeals.org and use your skills to help children get an education, both home and abroad.”
The International Headquarters for Mary’s Meals –
http://www.marysmeals.org/
