KD-collecting kid makes city a 'cheddar' place
Fri, Nov 16, 2001
By Paul McKie
TWO years ago, Shelby Guthrie decided to feed the city's poor. She was seven. "I wanted to help kids who really don't have any food," said Shelby, now an energetic food-drive veteran.
Her mom, Trish Zacharias, said Shelby first heard on the radio two years ago that kids don't get enough to eat.
"She didn't understand why kids went to food banks instead of grocery stores," said Zacharias.
Shelby read a list of food items needed by Winnipeg Harvest in the newspaper. One item was that ubiquitous dinner-time standby and saviour of many a college student -- Kraft Dinner.
Shelby thought the macaroni-and-cheese approach was the best and easiest way to make the world a better, if not cheddar, place. Shelby enlisted the help of her classmates at St. James' Strathmillan School. She placed a challenge in the school newsletter asking kids to collect boxes of KD.
All the effort and elbow grease brought in loads of elbow macaroni. That first year she raised 535 pounds of food.
Harvest's David Northcott said the drive to stave off hunger needs kids' help. He said 40 per cent of food bank users are children. Six per cent of those are under one year old.
Northcott said the remarkable aspect of kids like Shelby is they don't need to be prodded -- just recognized.
"Kids, given a chance, really want to help," said Northcott.
So Grade 4 student Shelby was duly recognized yesterday in the Strathmillan School gym with a grand ceremony. Longtime Harvest supporter Ron O'Donovan gave Shelby a pin and plaque from an organization that he and his wife, Eunice, have set up to recognize children's efforts.
O'Donovan said Kids Who Care will reward children who donate 50 hours of time to Winnipeg Harvest or donate 35 pounds of food to the food bank. He soon will honour another 40 kids for initiatives similar to Shelby's efforts.
O'Donovan said the program encourages older kids to hold birthday parties where guests bring food for Harvest instead of gifts. O'Donovan didn't come up with that idea -- his own 11-year-old granddaughter held that kind of party in the spring.
Shelby's efforts gained an unexpected spin off. Kraft decided to match Shelby's third annual drive and donated 960 KD boxes to Harvest.
When it was all over Shelby was beaming, energized -- and hungry. But no KD for Shelby -- she can't stand it.
What is wrong with the kid? Is this some kind of Canadian defect? Is Kraft cheese and macaroni our secret weapon against Canadian do-gooders?
And the staple of many single-guy dinners. I'm getting hungry. Gonna boil up some mac 'n' cheese.
BTW, is testforecho a reference to my favorite, all-time band.... Rush?