Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow

I was exercising the other day and turned on the TV to pass time. A man with a Scottish accent was being interviewed (I'm a sucker for the Highland voice:). With soft-spoken, humble demeanor, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow shared an amazing story, and I knew I had to highlight him on the Freedom Series section of my blog. He and his brother were sitting in a pub one day when the local news picked up a story on famine-stricken Somalia. After watching the devastation, they asked, "Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could just do one small thing to help?" Ah, the life-changing question! The brothers decided to spearhead a local community gathering of food, clothing, blankets and medical supplies. They loaded up all the accumulated goods and drove to Somalia. When the men returned to Scotland, an avalanche of continued donations greeted them. Imagine Magnus's reply (in Scottish accent, please:), "I was touched by the overwhelming generosity of others. I saw all of these donations in our family home and thought, 'Wow, people are good,' and it inspired me to be good too." Magnus quit his job, sold his home and started Mary's Meals, an organization that now feeds 900,000 daily meals to children around the world at the cost of about 8 cents a child.

If, like me, your radar picked up on the organization's name, it is named for the Virgin Mary. According to Magnus, there is no ministry attached to his work, "We are very careful to never link feeding and faith. We serve those in need...period." Amen! Any one with a momma's heart would proudly support his mission.

If you find yourself curious, check out MarysMeals.org. Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow won the 2010 Hero of the Year Award from CNN. If you wish to check out this year's candidates of everyday people following their North Stars, go to CNNHeroes.com and vote on your favorite. A special tribute show will air on December 11 at 8ET/5PT announcing the winner, so get out there and honor these heroes with your vote. In closing, Magnus summed up his organization with what I thought was the perfect blessing: "I've learned...that every small act of kindness makes a difference."