11 year old who grows giant cabbage is inspired to plant vegetable gardens for the homeless

[pepperbear]

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/from-seedlings-to-servings-11-year-old-grows-tons-of-veggies-for-the-homeless-2070656

*snip*

Some might call it beginner's luck, yet others might call it fate—because what Katie did next turned her story into a heartwarming tale that's touching people all over the world. Katie decided that her green-leafy pride and joy should be donated to a local soup kitchen, where it was made into meals for 275 people (with the help of some 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 with the help of her parents, Katie started her own nonprofit, Katie's Krops, and began planting vegetable gardens specifically to feed the needy. 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, providing soup kitchens with 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.

"She just walks in like a proud little girl with her treasures in her arm," says Sue Hanshaw, CEO of Tricounty Family Ministries, the soup kitchen in Charleston, S.C., where Katie first brought her 40-pound crucifer. "I love what she exudes, caring for others. It's made a big impact on a lot of people."

Says Elois Mackey, 49, a formerly homeless mother of two who has received a weekly vegetable delivery from Katie since September: "She is showing that you can help other people no matter how young you are. I love the vegetables she brings."

[nemo137]

1. Good for her.

[Scurrilous]

2. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Botany]

3. I have something caught in my eye

Go Katie!

[Parche]

4. since our government cant help our own people

and they send $59billion to Afghanistan...


good for her...she is a true human...
:hi:

[Little Star]

5. Nice story!

[malaise]

6. How lovely

Stories like this and the Willis Avenue Bridge are reasons why people still believe in America and Americans.

Progressives should make a movie about her story.

[alsame]

7. "I could do much more than that." - from the mouth of

a wonderful child.

K&R

[Axle_techie]

8. K&R

That kid ROCKS

[MineralMan]

9. 11 year olds are my favorite people. They know a lot of things,

but are not yet jaded in any way, usually. The things they do and say are honest and forthright. If I were a teacher, I'd want to teach 5th and 6th graders.

[roguevalley]

10. I taught them both and I love fifth grade best because they start

to turn on you in 6th. :) They get the boy/girl adults are dicks mentality for a while. This girl is a honey. Her parents did good.

[asdjrocky]

11. An 11 year old has figured it out.

No help is coming so we have to help ourselves, and each other.

[kiva]

12. What a smart and truly lovely girl.

And I say that having no idea what she looks like, just what she does.

[dgibby]

14. There's a pic. of her at the link.

I live in the same town she does, but hadn't heard of her until her project was picked up on the news.

That her garden is doing so well in this ungodly heat(mine is fried) is enough to make me worship at her feet, but the fact that she's doing it for such a worthy cause has put her at the top of my hero list!

[Withywindle]

13. This is a wonderful story and thanks for posting it.

I think all of us desperately need faith-in-humanity booster shots these days. Thanks, pepperbear, and THANK YOU KATIE!

[myrna minx]

15. K&R Thanks for posting this. n/t

[uncommon]

16. That is really sweet -- it reminds me of this little art project my daughter's kindergarten class

did this year - the teacher made this sheet that said, "If I had $100, I would..." and then there was a box for the kids to write their answer and draw a picture.

My daughter drew a picture of a person and wrote, "...give it a homeless person."

It made me cry - kids are so innocent and full of love for everyone around them.

[Solly Mack]

17. K&R