It was a cold night in Washington, D.C., and I was heading back to the hotel when a man approached me. He asked if I would give him some money so he could get something to eat. I'd read the signs: "Don't give money to panhandlers." So I shook my head and kept walking.
I wasn't prepared for a reply, but with resignation, he said, "I really am homeless and I really am hungry! You can come with me and watch me eat!" But I kept on walking.
The incident bothered me for the rest of the week. I had money in my pocket and it wouldn't have killed me to hand over a buck or two even if he had been lying. On a frigid, cold night, no less, I assumed the worst of a fellow human being.
Flying back to Anchorage, I couldn't help thinking of him. I tried to rationalize my failure to help by assuming government agencies, churches and charities were there to feed him. Besides, you're not supposed to give money to panhandlers.
Somewhere over Seattle, I started to write my weekly garden column for The Anchorage Daily News. Out of the blue, I came up with an idea. Bean's Cafe, the soup kitchen in Anchorage, feeds hundreds of hungry Alaskans every day. Why not try to get all my readers to plant one row in their gardens dedicated to Bean's? Dedicate a row and take it down to Bean's. Clean and simple.
We didn't keep records back then, but the idea began to take off. Folks would fax me or call when they took something in. Those who only grew flowers donated them. Food for the spirit. And salve for my conscience.
In 1995, the Garden Writers Association of America held their annual convention in Anchorage and after learning of Anchorage's program, Plant a Row for Bean's became Plant a Row For The Hungry. The original idea was to have every member of the Garden Writers Association of America write or talk about planting a row for the hungry sometime during the month of April.
As more and more people started working with the Plant a Row concept, new variations cropped up, if you will pardon the pun. Many companies gave free seed to customers and displayed the logo, which also appeared in national gardening publications.
Row markers with the Plant a Row logo were distributed to gardeners to set apart their "Row for the Hungry."
Garden editor Joan Jackson, backed by The San Jose Mercury News and California's nearly year-round growing season, raised more than 30,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables her first year, and showed GWAA how the program could really work. Texas fruit farms donated food to their local food bank after being inspired by Plant a Row. Today the program continues to thrive and grow.
I am stunned that millions of Americans are threatened by hunger. If every gardener in America - and we're seventy million strong - plants one row for the hungry, we can make quite a dent in the number of neighbors who don't have enough to eat. Maybe then I will stop feeling guilty about abandoning a hungry man I could have helped.
我不准备回答，但很无奈，他说：“我真的很无家可归，我真的感到饿了！你可以跟我来，看我吃！”不过，我一直走着。
这一事件困扰了一周我的休息。我把钱藏在口袋里，他（它）就不会杀死我，即使他是撒谎的。在很寒冷的、很寒冷的夜晚，没有我认为最坏的家伙。
飞回安克雷奇，我禁不住想起他。我想我没能帮助政府机构，教堂和慈善机构在那里帮助（喂）他。此外，你不应该把钱给乞丐。
在西雅图的某个地方，我开始写我的安克雷奇每日新闻周刊花园列。走出蓝色，我想出了一个主意。豆的咖啡厅，厨房在安克雷奇汤，阿拉斯加饲料饥饿每天有数百。为什么不尝试让我所有的读者在庭园栽一行专门的豆的？奉献一行并把它记下来，以豆子的。干净和简单。
我们并没有保存当时，但这个想法开始起飞。人们会传真或打电话进来时，他们把这些花谁仅增长捐赠他们的东西。食物的精神。和我的良心慰藉。
1995年，花园作家协会美国安克雷奇举行的年度大会，并在锚碇后的计划，植物为行学习Bean的植物成为一个为饥饿行。最初的想法是有一段时间在4月份的每一个花园作家协会会员的美国书写或谈论种植为饥饿的一排。
随着越来越多的人开始与植物一列的概念，出现了新的变化，如果你会原谅这个双关语的工作。许多公司为客户提供免费种子和显示的标志，也出现在国家园林出版物。
同种一排行标志标记分发到园丁设置除了为饥饿的“行。”
花园编辑琼杰克逊，在圣何塞水星报和加利福尼亚州的近全年生长季节的支持下，筹集了超过3.0万的水果和蔬菜的第一年她磅，并表明GWAA如何使该方案能够真正发挥作用。德州水果农场捐赠给当地的食物银行的食物后，由植物的启发一行。今天，方案继续茁壮成长。
我感到震惊的数百万美国人受到饥饿的威胁。如果每个美国园丁 - 我们非常70000000强 - 植物为饥饿的一排，我们可以在邻居的人数不少凹痕谁没有足够的食物。也许到那时我将停止的感觉是，放弃一个饥饿的人，我可以帮助犯。
我还没有准备好一个答复,但是以辞职,他说,“我真的很无家可归,我真的饿了!你可以和我一起去看我吃了!”但我继续往前走。
困扰我的事件,其余的星期。我有钱,在我的口袋里,它就不会杀死我交了一个男的还是两个即使他一直在说谎。在一个寒冷的、寒冷的夜晚,没有少,我认为最糟糕的一位人类。
飞回安克雷奇,我不禁想起了他。我想我无法帮助以合理的政府机构、教会和假设慈善机构并没有给他。除此之外,你不应该把钱给panhandlers。
在西雅图的地方,我开始写我的每周专栏的花园锚固每日新闻报说。出乎我意料之外,我想出了一个主意。豆的咖啡馆,汤厨安克雷奇、饲料数以百计的饥饿的阿拉斯加人天天都有好心情。为什么不试着把所有的读者对植物一排在他们的花园致力于豆的吗?献出了自己的生命,并把它划下豆的。清洁和简单。
我们没有保存记录,但这个想法开始起飞。人们会传真给我打电话时,他们把东西或者在。那些只长花赠送。食物的精神。因为我的良心、抢救。
1995年,美国作家协会的花园举行的一年一度的大会上,学习后锚碇锚固的程序,对植物一排一排豆的成为植物为饥饿的人。最初的想法是把每一成员的花园的美国作家协会写或谈论种植为饥饿的人有时会在四月。
随着越来越多的人开始与植物一排的概念,新的变化,如果你将会出现的。许多公司提供了免费的种子与客户的标志,这也显示出现在全国的园艺的出版物。
行标记与植物一排标志都分发给园丁设置他们的“排饿。”
花园的编辑,琼·杰克逊和加州圣何塞水星新闻几乎全年的生长季节,募集了超过3万磅的水果和蔬菜,她的头一年,并显示GWAA节目如何能真正的工作。德克萨斯农场捐赠食物给他们水果的本地食物银行的灵感来自植物一排。今天的节目继续蓬勃发展和成长。
我很震惊,数百万美国人面临饥饿。在美国,如果每一个园丁——而我们七千万强-植物一排饿,可以使我们相当的数量的邻居,没有足够的食物。也许我就停止负罪感放弃一个饥饿的人,我帮得上忙。本回答被提问者和网友采纳
