President Obama honors Mary Hoodhood with 2010 Citizens Medal (Video)

Washington DC – It is a story of courage and determination when Mary K. Hoodhood from Grand Rapids, Michigan, became paralyzed after a car accident that put her in a wheelchair.

However that didn’t keep her from feeding the hungry in her community. She began volunteering to feed people through her local Meals on Wheels program.

In 2001, Hoodhood founded "Kids’ Food Basket" when she became aware that local school officials were concerned that some of their students were going hungry outside of school.

In the beginning "Kids' Food Basket" fed 125 children every week day at three schools. Remarkably, in nine years, "Kids' Food Basket" has grown to feeding over 2,500 kids at 26 schools each week day.

Some of the 2,500 lunches served to 26 schools by "Kids' Food Basket."  Courtesy photos

Today President Barack Obama honored Hoodhood and 12 other recipients across the nation to receive the Citizens Medal which is considered to be the the nation’s second-highest civilian honor.

Citizens Medal

“What unites these citizens – what makes them special – is the determination they share to find a wrong and right it; to see a need and meet it; to recognize when others are suffering and take it upon themselves to make a difference,” said President Obama. “These honorees’ lives stand as shining examples of what it means to be an American. And today, we have an opportunity to tell their stories; to say thank you; and to offer them a small token of our appreciation.”

President Obama said that for over 40 years, some of America’s most respected heroes and public figures like Muhammad Ali, Colin Powell and Bob Dole, and everyday heroes like Oseola McCarty, a washerwoman who left her entire life savings to establish a scholarship for students in need, have received this award.
 

This year, Obama said he decided to try something a little bit different.
 

“We asked you, the American public, to tell us about the heroes in your community, the folks who may not always get the recognition they deserve, but whose selfless work is making a real difference,” Obama said. “We received over 6,000 outstanding and inspiring nominations from around the country. It was a tough choice, but we were able to narrow it down to 13 recipients of the 2010 Citizens Medal.”
 

This is part 1 of a 2 part series.  

Look for another inspirational story about Mary K. Hoodhood after I interview her shortly.