FAT LADY
Following the lead of the Black Panthers’ Free Breakfast for Children Program, activists in Worcester initiated a similar breakfast program. There were two centers for breakfast. One in Main South, run by Anne Marie. The second center was run by my roommate, Ed who eventually won a Pulitzer Prize. Ed’s program was in the basement of Our Lady of Fatima Church. We called it Fat Lady, as did the children. The Church is closed today and it is likely to be demolished.
There have been some claims that Clarence ran the Free Breakfast for Children Program.I have no certain recollection of ever seeing Clarence at Fat Lady.
Every school morning for two semesters Ed organize a car load of students to get up between 5:30 and 6:00 AM and go to Fat Lady. We were mostly from the BSU, RSU, and other progressive groups. I remember Mark, Bob, and John were regulars. Although not on a regular basis, scores of other students would help out. Ed’s net of recruitment went out fairly widely and it was sometimes a surprise who
would show up on any given day.
Fat Lady is three or four miles from Holy Cross and we took whatever transportation Ed could organize. Many times we drove the BSU van. Once in January I had to ride in the bed of Bob’s pickup truck. I learned a lot about wind chill during the ride. –
Another time when Ed complained that Holy Cross did not help enough with the program. We went to see Father Brooks, who recently became President of the College and demanded that he help. Father Brooks called to Kimball dining hall and told the staff to give us surplus fry pans. What amazes me even to this day is not that Father Brooks gave us fry pans, but that he knew Kimball had surplus fry pans.
There was a time when the Pastor of Fat Lady tried to throw us out of Fat Lady. The locks were changed on the doors. At that time I saw a whole different side of Ed. He was determined to have the program reopened. He went to talk to the Pastor and we were opened for breakfast the next day.
Among the children I remember one little girl. I don’t recall her name, but she used to give Ed a lot of grief. She complained about the food. She always wore red boots and she was very protective of her little brother. One time to get them to finish their food Ed told them that I would sing and dance. I waited for them to finish and then I said I had changed my mind. For some reason I could only remember “Drugstore Loving” and I thought that would not be an age appropriate song.
I talked to Ed recently. He remembers an older boy whom he felt was something of a trouble maker. Ed asked the kid to help him with the program, cleaning up and closing up. The kid’s attitude changed for the better.
In the Spring we got the word that the Public Schools would be serving breakfast before classes. This made our program redundant and it was discontinued in the Fall.
When Ed returned to Holy Cross in 2005 we happened to go by Fat Lady and I could tell from his voice that he had fond memories of it, the kids, and all involved in the program.
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