Phyllis Shaughnessy
This is the story of a person of modest means who through compassion and determination has worked wonders.
Phyllis lives in Grays Harbor County, a poor county in Washington State, where unemployment is high and very few jobs are available.
During the school year, the National School Lunch Program provides free breakfasts and lunches to children of low income families. But in the summer, many children go hungry and Phyllis knew she had to help.
(Story continues from "Read More")
After long appealing to unresponsive government officials, Phyllis finally got Federal U.S.D.A. approval and she set up her own lunch program for these children.
Phyllis got her catering license and looked for corporate partners to help her, and once again she received rejection. "I tried everywhere," Phyllis said.
But she refused to quit.
Then at long last a local business, the Green Lantern Pub, gave her free use of their kitchen.
This was a giant step forward, but then another difficult challenge confronted Phyllis, how to raise the money to pay for all this food.
After considerable effort, she found an additional compassionate participant.
Phyllis partnered with the Chapel by the Sea Presbyterian Church, which provided their 501-c, so Phyllis could raise money and the donors could take a tax deduction.
Now Phyllis was ready to go. She recruited volunteers to join her and her Green Lantern Lunches program was born.
Last summer from June 15th to August 27th, Monday thru Friday, Phyllis and the other volunteers prepared and delivered 10,006 lunches, up to 207 lunches a day.
They drove far and wide to reach the homes of many of the children in need.
Now with school back in session, the children once again receive their breakfasts and lunches from their schools.
But Phyllis plans to expand her program next summer to include even more children: a godsend to them and to their families.
