Delaware boy's brown bags nourish body, soul

What were you doing when you were 10 years old?

Me? I was catching crawfish in the creek beside the golf course near our house. My brothers and I would cook them up over a fire. Yummy little lobsters – drenched in pesticide runoff, I'm sure. That could explain some things about me.

When not ingesting these chemically coated critters, we were making dirt bike trails and forts in the woods – no girls allowed. Blame The Little Rascals and the He-Man Woman Hater's Club for putting that dumb idea in our heads.

I was doing what all 10-year-old boys did – playing and getting enough dirt behind my ears to grow potatoes.

But apparently not all kids that age are as centered on selfish fun as I was.

Braeden Quinn Mannering is a good example.

This 10-year-old boy from Bear, who enjoys drawing his own Pokemon cards and comic books, started a project last year called Brae's Brown Bags, or simply 3B.

Brae's Brown Bags are literally that, brown bags. Each bag contains a few healthy snacks, water and a message from Braeden, including a list of local services and contact information for people to get further assistance. A little nourishment and hope for the body and soul.

Braeden started this effort last summer after winning the 2013 Healthy Lunchtime Challenge and attending the Kids' State Dinner at the White House. While there, he was asked by first lady Michelle Obama how he was going to pay the honor forward. His answer was 3B.

Since then, more than 1,200 of the bags have been handed out. The effort has earned Braeden a number of accolades and is now one of 27 projects nominated for a national Jefferson Award as part of the Lead 360 Challenge.

Feeling a bit #delaproud of his efforts? You can help Braeden by voting for his project online once a day through Wednesday.

And just think.

Not a single crawfish was harmed or woman discriminated against by Braeden in the making of Braeden's Brown Bags.

Share in the Only in Delaware conversation 24/7 on delawareonline. Contact Jeffrey Gentry at jgentry@delawareonline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeffreygentry