We live in a world where hunger and starvation are quite prevalent. There are many hungry people in the United States, even. It’s terrible. The sad thing is that there are politicians out there who seem quite content to let people starve, almost gleefully taking away free breakfast and lunches in school. We should be nourishing kid’s brains with food, not taking it away from something that’s not their fault- their parent’s economic status.
Cayden Taipalus, a Detroit elementary student at the time, saw that callousness in action. He was in line at a cafeteria when a student in front of him was told he couldn’t have a hot lunch because his parents hadn’t paid for them. That poor child had to go hungry. This upset Cayden greatly, and he told his mom about what he had seen. Instead of then leaving it alone, he asked what he could do.
It’s remarkable when an adult looks for ways to pay it forward, let alone a child. His mom was impressed at his empathy and they brainstormed to find ways to rectify this wrong. What they came up with was pretty darn amazing, I must say. They started something called “Pay It Forward: No Kid Goes Hungry”, where people donate money and also take bottles and cans to supermarkets and donate the cash they get from those to the program.
The program has been a remarkable success, with over 300 lunches having been paid for at the time of the video’s airing in 2014. That was over 3 years ago, so presumably even more have been added. Cayden is a great child. I could see him getting involved in philanthropy when he gets much older and out of college. The future looks bright for him… and also for the stomachs of many Detroit students.
What do you think of Cayden’s plan? He’s much older than his years. Please leave a comment below. Also, it would be great if you “Like” us on Facebook.
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