Remembering Noel Cunningham
Posted by Debbie Shore on Monday, December 5, 2011
When I was first introduced to Noel Cunningham in 1987 by Pat Miller (The Gabby Gourmet), Share Our Strength was still a young and little known organization. Noel had never heard of it or the Shores but took the word of his dear friend Pat when she told him he should meet with us and learn about our work fighting hunger. Almost immediately, he decided that Share Our Strength was going to be his mission and he gave unprecedented amounts of time and talent to the cause, eventually becoming an active member of our national board of directors. But he gave much more than that: He gave his passion, and the need to express it everywhere — all the time and to anyone who would listen — would come to define him.
He was an early adopter and architect of the Taste of the Nation, still thriving after 20+ years. But on a Share Our Strength delegation to Ethiopia in the mid-90s, he found his true calling and from that day forward gave his all to improve the lives of children half a world away. I remember the day he called me from the airport to tell me about Dr. Rick Hodes, the American doctor who lives in Addis Ababa, in a place where there is just one doctor for every 40,000. Dr. Hodes – who says he likes to treat those who “nobody is interested in” — went to the ends of the earth to find treatment for the most severely ill children. His devotion and selflessness moved Noel profoundly and he came home more committed than ever to raise funds for Dr. Hode’s work. Much will be said about Noel’s legacy. For sure he has given generously to his community and nation. But If there were ever a population of children more vulnerable and more voiceless than those we serve in America, it would be the children of Ethiopia. And those children are Noel’s real legacy.
For roughly 15 years, Noel and I spoke nearly every day. If you met him, you remembered him and if you were lucky enough to find a place in his heart, you were the recipient of his intense love and loyalty. We spoke about everything, an upcoming board meeting, a customer he wanted me to meet, a new menu item, how to recruit more chefs and corporate partners into the organization, a new fundraising scheme….
One of my favorite Noel stories took place in 1990, when I invited a boyfriend over to my apartment for dinner. Noel knew it was an important date for me and he sent via federal express a romantic dinner for two, pre-cooked and well packaged so all I would have to do is heat it up. He wanted to delight his friends and delight he did on that occasion and on so many more.
As my brother, Billy wrote in his book, “Noel’s goodness is not always practical, but it is always authentic, and this authenticity moves people further than anyone would have guessed they were capable of being moved… It’s so real, so undeniable, that it compels others to believe that there must be at least some of that same goodness in themselves, and thereby compels them to the same actions as Noel’s. His impact on people is similar to Billy Budd’s as described by Herman Melville: ‘A virtue went out of him, sugaring the sour ones.’”
Former staff, board members and colleagues have been e-mailing and calling throughout the weekend. Everyone has a story to share about how Noel touched their lives and I will see many of them at the funeral on Friday. Board member Will Kanteres wrote, “he achieved in life what we all aspire to — creating a lasting, positive change on peoples’ day to day lives.” I found a quote from Nelson Mandela that describes my friend: “There is no passion to be found playing small, in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
December 5, 2011 | 0 comment(s) | Tags: noel cunningham, Taste of the Nation
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