NeverSeconds Get a Second Chance

Back at the beginning of the month, we were reading about NeverSeconds, a blog by 9-year-old Martha Payne that attracted attention for rating the nutrition and value of her school’s mid-day meal offerings. The best part of the story then was the effect her blog was having on how the lunch program in her school was being approached.   But like every success story, this one has its own tribulations: a ban was put in effect prohibiting Payne from blogging her school meals because of the controversial questions she raised about the climate of lunchroom culture. The ban was lifted soon after it was enacted, but it gets better: The best part of the story now is that the change affected by NeverSeconds is no longer confined to a local level. The message has grown to reach international limits, garnering international attention, and the publicity from the ban alone has helped Payne raise enough money, through a charity known as Mary’s Meals, to build a kitchen in Malawi. It’s no longer just a win for school lunches - it’s a win for food awareness everywhere, and for charity too. Here’s to the power of blogging. NeverSeconds blogger Martha Payne school dinner photo ban lifted from BBC News