Honoring 'Lady'

On May 11, a resident of Glendora, Mississippi, known to all as "Lady" was the guest of honor as ninth graders hosted an "Empty Bowl" dinner fundraiser in Shore's Dining Hall. Lady, whose name is Debbie Johnson, cooked for these ninth graders as well as two previous ninth grade groups on their fall service learning trips to Glendora over the past three years, and the fundraiser was to benefit Partners in Development, the Ipswich-based nonprofit that coordinates the Mississippi experience for Shore.

Lady, who works for Partners in Development in Glendora, was invited for a four-day visit at the school not only to be recognized for her outsized role in the success of the ninth grade trip, but also to enjoy reconnecting with students and alumni who credit her generosity, humor, and compassion—and of course, her cooking—with making their Mississippi experience a transformative and unforgettable one. According to ninth grade alumnus Daniel Blundin '17, who attended the fundraiser, "The personal connections we made with the people of Glendora, like Lady, truly allowed us to understand their lives. No articles or videos carry that same emotion, which is essential to create empathy. Almost a year and a half later, the experience in Mississippi is still as vividly ingrained in my heart and soul as if it happened yesterday."

In addition to the fundraising dinner, Lady's visit also included excursions to historic sites in Boston and scenic areas on the North Shore. Ninth graders and their teachers delighted in showing their guest around the school, and Chef Scott Flanagan was thrilled to assist Lady and her Shore helpers in the kitchen as they prepared chili and cornbread for the dinner.

In the Dining Hall, ninth graders, faculty, alumni, and parents enjoyed Southern specialties while they perused ceramic bowls and recycled-fabric bracelets the students and Shore community members created to raise funds. Fabric for bracelets was donated by a local fashion designer, Vivienne Lowe of Tien 2. The Empty Bowls concept allows artists and groups to create and donate bowls, then serve a simple meal; guests choose a bowl to keep as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world. In exchange for the meal, and the bowl, guests usually make a donation. Shore's event raised more than $1,000 to support Partners in Development.

Shore has built a connection with Partners in Development over the past several years, through both the ninth grade Glendora trip and the annual United in Service Day. The nonprofit helps residents of some of the most deeply impoverished communities in Haiti, Guatemala, and the Mississippi Delta attain independence and whole-life improvement. Through economic development, children’s programs, housing, and medical assistance, the organization engages whole communities, ensuring a better quality of life and a more promising future.
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    • Walter Morris honored Lady

    • Chef Scott Flanagan showed off Shore's kitchen

    • Linden Adamson helped arrange bowls created by ninth graders

    • Handmade bracelets were part of the fundraiser

    • Riley Lucey and Ruth Bauer helped Lady choose a bowl and bracelet

    • Wells Goltra and Charles Hoffman followed Lady's chili-cooking instructions

    • Southern specialties chili and cornbread were on the menu

    • Bowls were inscribed to honor the special guest

Shore Country Day School

545 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915
(978) 927-1700
Shore Country Day School’s mission is to provide an education that inspires a love of learning and encourages children to embrace academic challenge. We seek to build character, cultivate creativity, and value diversity as we help our children become healthy, compassionate citizens of the world.
The School admits qualified students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law, and extends to them all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its admissions, scholarships, and loans, and its educational, athletic, and other programs.