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Marcus Rashford may have seen his attempt to get the government to provide meals to the poorest children defeated in the Commons this week, but the footballer has harnessed a force far greater than parliament in his battle to defeat food poverty: the kindness of the strangers.
As news spread that a Labor motion to provide 1.4 million underprivileged children in England with £ 15 a week in food vouchers over the holidays until Easter 2021 was rejected by the government on Wednesday for That night, dozens of the worst hit restaurants, bars and cafes contacted Rashford. with offers of help.
Manchester United and England forward’s campaign to end child food poverty calls for an extension of free school meals to 1.4 million more UK children, an increase in the value of Healthy Fresh Fruit and Vegetable vouchers Start for low-income pregnant women, and an expansion of the hunger plans for the holidays organized by charities.
At 10:30 pm Thursday, Rashford stated his intent: “Dazzled by news of local businesses stepping up to cover the voucher scheme deficit during the October semester. Selflessness, kindness, togetherness, this is the England I know “, tweeted. “Add #ENDCHILDFOODPOVERTY to your tweets so you can track them. I’ll share as many as I can. “
Then a steady stream of posts began, mostly screenshots of local Facebook sites, simply marked with where help could be found. Offers came in from everywhere, including Wigan and Watford, St Helens and Middlesbrough, Hull, Falmouth, Liverpool and Lincoln.
By posting his last tweet just before midnight, the footballer started again at 7.49 in the morning. As an observer Put it on: “Marcus Rashford seems to have created an alternative government.”
The owners of El Bar de Tapas in Stevenage wrote that the government’s decision not to fund the meals was “really heartbreaking,” adding: “We can’t do anything to change that decision, so instead we have to help! We work in an industry that is being decimated by this virus, but we cannot use that as an excuse. “Customers applauded the move and offered to donate to cover the costs.” What an amazing thing to offer, “wrote local Rohan Gordon . “The community spirit is alive.”
Even companies with no hospitality experience pledged to support, wrote Summer House Interiors in Shrewsbury, offering to make a lunch box for children who receive free school meals, adding: “We’re not sure how successful this will be or how busy it will please, bear with us, we’re just trying to do our bit for our community. “
The owner of Berry’s tea room in Cumbria offered packed lunches and said that as a single father of three, they understood what it was like to need help: “You can send me a private message in confidence and just stop by and pick it up. Please don’t be embarrassed. “
In North Liverpool, The Panda Cab offered free transfers to any family who needed to go to a food bank, Manjaros in Middlesbrough promised to drop off food packages discreetly, while Rhubarb Shed Cafe in Sheffield offered sandwiches, muffins and hot chocolate afterwards. to see another company. at Rotherham they do the same. “Although this token may be small, we hope it will make some children smile during this dark time,” wrote the owners.
The tide of goodness continued in Leeds, where Muntaz offered free chicken or vegetable biryanis to children between the ages of four and 16 and wrote: “This is NOT about politics. It’s about doing our part to help […] The good only begets the good. We have to help each other during these difficult times. “
City councils, including Redbridge and Southwark, also said they would intervene in the breach. The Redbridge Councilor Khayer Chowdhury wrote: “If the government doesn’t feed the starving children, this London borough will.”
In response to the tweets, which continued on Friday, London Mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted: “If you need to remember that our country is much better and more generous than this government, take a look at @MarcusRashfordTwitter this morning. #ENDCHILDFOODPOVERTY“
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