"Teen Finds Use for Pennies: Feeding the Needy"
Brian Williams and Ann Curry
This news story is about a young girl, Chandra Starr, who is in middle school and her dream of helping others. When she was younger she and her mom were homeless. They lived in a tent in the Colorado Mountains. Many nights they were cold and slept together with their dog so they all could keep warm. Chandra and her mother, Kim, did not have the ability to buy healthy foods. They did not get many fruits or vegetables. Chandra gained weight and was diagnosed as pre-diabetic.
Last fall Chandra and her mom were able to get back on their feet. Since then Chandra has wanted to build a vegetable garden for needy people. She started the Million Penny Project. Chandra collects spare change, picks up any coins she finds on the ground, and receives donations from other people in their town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Chandra's garden could possibly feed up to two thousand needy people. She is trying to reach that goal. Chandra's mom thinks that Chandra's experience with being homeless and hungry is a big part of the reason she is taking on this project. Chandra realizes how hard it is to survive with almost nothing.
Last fall Chandra and her mom were able to get back on their feet. Since then Chandra has wanted to build a vegetable garden for needy people. She started the Million Penny Project. Chandra collects spare change, picks up any coins she finds on the ground, and receives donations from other people in their town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Chandra's garden could possibly feed up to two thousand needy people. She is trying to reach that goal. Chandra's mom thinks that Chandra's experience with being homeless and hungry is a big part of the reason she is taking on this project. Chandra realizes how hard it is to survive with almost nothing.
analysis
This is an interesting news story about helping needy people, who are considered the lower class, and a young girl's past struggle with being homeless. When Chandra was young, she and her mom were homeless and struggling to get by. Now they can support themselves and would be considered middle class. The fact that a young girl in middle school can think of helping to feed needy people is pretty unusual. Most teens today think more about helping themselves, getting an iphone or an X-Box, or whatever else they want to have. Chandra's experience growing up as a part of the lower class gives her the thoughtfulness and desire to help other people in that situation. Because of her personal experience of living in a tent and being cold and hungry, Chandra knows how lower class people feel and live. She also knows about the health problems that can come from not getting food that is healthy for you. Her Million Pennies Project to raise money and create an organic vegetable garden will help two thousand needy; lower class people get healthy vegetables. It is good that Chandra thought of helping the lower class now that she and her mom are middle class and no longer in that situation.