Greyson Turner: Young Hunger Fighter

Submitted April 05, 2011 by Ben Shine | 5 comments

Last week I had the chance to meet, give a tour and have lunch with a really great kid named Greyson. Greyson’s a fifth grader at IPS’s Center for Inquiry. He contacted us last week during his Spring Break to see if he could drop off a donation of pasta and see our work first hand. I took the assignment to meet Greyson and give him a tour. I have to say I wasn’t prepared to be so impressed!

Greyson had been working on an assignment for school that involved not just researching a social or environmental problem, but demanded that students take action to address the problem. Greyson chose the issue of hunger in Indianapolis for his project. While researching, he learned about Second Helpings and our constant need for rice and pasta for the close to 3000 meals we send out every day. That's when he got to work.

He created door hangers for his neighbors(pictured here), letting them know about his project and that he was holding a pasta drive for Second Helpings. He instructed them how they could help and he arranged to pick up all of the donations and deliver them to us. When I met Greyson and his mom, Gretchen, in our lobby, Greyson was holding a giant bag of pasta in each hand!

As we walked around the building and I talked about how we work to eliminate hunger and empower people in Indianapolis, I could tell that Greyson was really focused on learning everything he could about us. I got the feeling that this was more than just an assignment for school. From the questions he asked to the nods to my factoids, I could tell that Greyson really understood the importance of what we do here - that there are people in our community who struggle to get one whole meal a day, and that one person could make a big difference.

Thanks, Greyson. This city is a better place because you took action.

Comments

A kid in Gresyon's Class
April 13th, 2011 8:32pm
Greyson is a great person and a great friend. He did a wonderful thing for so many people. Thank you Greyson! And please, like my principle stated above come to our 5th and 6th grade International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program Exhibition Project Fair on April 21st at Center for Inquiry. And you will discover how kids in our grade level and school can help the community. Thanks again.
Shannon
April 13th, 2011 11:15am
This story made me tear up. Great job Greyson, you are a special kid!
Debbie
April 13th, 2011 7:11am
How inspiring! My son started serving meals to the homeless near Greyson's age. Today at age 25, he is volunteering out on the streets for the homeless of our city. Kudos to parents and schools who get young people involved in giving back! It makes a difference in their lives and our community!
Christine Collier, CFI Head of School
April 06th, 2011 1:21pm
We are so proud of Greyson and the manner in which he approached his project. We welcome the community to visit CFI (725 N New Jersey) and view all the 5th and 6th grade International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program Exhibition Projects on display the afternoon of April 21st. Thank you so much for sharing this story of Greyson's action and his service toward your organization.
Kirsten
April 06th, 2011 11:57am
I love this story. Too often, we don't recognize how young people can contribute to community change efforts. Greyson is a great example of how everyone - no matter their age, assets or connections - can truly make their community a better place to live.

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