Historical Moments in CV : Feed 500

In October, 2012 we went to Capadoccia as part of the amazing journey of CV Grad Turkey. While we had a magical ride in the hot air balloons, we witnessed something that deeply touched my heart. All of us, myself and the students along with me saw thousands of pumpkins lying on the field left to rot.

I began to ask questions of locals and followed that up with more research to discover that the pumpkins in this part of the world are grown and then harvested only for their seeds. The thrown away pumpkins would easily feed those who are in need in other parts of the world.

For many years, I have been planning and looking forward to the expansion of the CV energy that is currently present all over the world in the form of my students seeking ways and means to apply their higher level awareness into the society to add greater value. The intention is to add value in meaningful and purpose driven ways to the communities, not merely to create projects as their own end. As a result, this intention led to the formation of the CV Think Tank.

Several projects were quickly submitted for our consideration to me and our team of senior CV graduates. Our primary criteria was to choose a way to manifest meaningful value added action with something that could actually be designed and implemented in the short span of only one year. As we live and work in various countries around the globe, the one chosen was intended to bring in participation across country borderlines and involve different ages as well.

The project that was selected we named Feed the 500. The team that volunteered was created out of a core of individuals, not corporations or executives, from our base of students in Kuching, Malaysia. The concept was the food would be prepared fresh but out of food stuffs already in the refrigerators and cupboards of the participants. These items might well go unnoticed or left to become no longer edible and thus end up in the rubbish bins of the different households involved.

Thus our chosen project would also be reinforcing the awareness of creating less waste and more productive utilization of the valuable resources the world provides, at the same time as the intention of creating the team that would come together to produce and deliver to those in need the food that day. Thus, no one would go to the store to buy new foods.

CV Kids doing their part to contribute in Feed 500

We did a trial run called Feed the 100 in August 2013. The team was magnificent in their planning and in the execution that day!. Let’s go for it! Feed the 500 is ON! The date selected was November 24, 2013…only thirteen months following the idea being born in the basket of that flying balloon thousands of miles away in a different continent and country.

The morning of November 24th 2013, the actual Feed the 500 moved into action as the result of the follow through, the commitment, the determination, and the creativity of the team in Kuching. The entire team, headed by Evelyn Tang, Jeannie Hiew, Mio Ting Ling, Jodie Sim, and Cliff Chong, along with the support of the CV-ers from Brunei, Singapore and Taiwan came together to prepare for the less fortunate of the community in and around the town. Almost 60 volunteers wearing red and ready to work to be part of something that is meaningful showed up at 4 in the morning to create a magical, meaningful, and memorable day for all who were part of it, who were touched by it, and who witnessed it.

This was indeed another amazing historical moment in and for CV, not just for Kuching town in Malaysia, or even those directly involved. This physical manifestation of a dream, a vision to help our fellow man, captured the energy of the Universe to those who dream and who commit! These of course are always major lessons within CV.

The vision was to bring the community together, not just the CV community. We did. For all there that day there is truly a deeper understanding of what community means. We live in cities, villages, houses, condominiums and apartments in many parts of the globe, yet nearly always there is no community in the “community” in which we dwell.

I grew up in the Mid West and do know what community looks and feels like. It means helping one another not only in the times of need. The deeper creation and living of community means people are listening to one another with their hearts, not thinking why should I care unless there is something in it for me.

The Feed the 500 was not and will not in the future be just about food. It is about the community. It is connecting with others, giving with love and compassion. When we truly give from our heart, what we get in return is overwhelming. It is amazing. Next year….Feed the 500 will also be conducted, with the grace of commitment by the new team there in Taiwan and in Kuching, Malaysia the team is preparing now to expand to Feed the 1000 with now eleven months to prepare for the expanded energy of both the creation and the delivery!

Linda Chandler, Founder/CEO Core Value Training December 6, 2013