Clifford Clinton facts for kids
Clifford E. Clinton (born August 3, 1900 – died November 20, 1969) was a restaurant owner from California. He started an important group called Meals for Millions in 1946. This group later became part of Freedom from Hunger, which helps people get enough food.
Contents
Early Life and a Promise
First Trip to China (1905)
When Clifford Clinton was just five years old, he traveled to China with his parents and sisters. His parents were missionaries, meaning they traveled to teach about their religion. Their family restaurant helped support them. In 1906, they had to return to California because their restaurant was destroyed by a big earthquake and fire in San Francisco. Clifford was too young to remember much about this first trip.
During their time in China, the family had to escape from powerful leaders called warlords. They traveled by a major river, possibly the Yangtze River. A kind Buddhist monk helped them escape to safety. The monk gave the family a small statue of Buddha, which is still kept by their relatives today.
A Vow to Help (1910)
By 1910, the family restaurant was doing well again. The Clinton family, except for Clifford's youngest sister, returned to China. This time, they went to southern China, near the city of Canton. They worked at a Christian orphanage that cared for blind children.
Clifford was 10 years old and could understand much more about life in China. He was very moved by what he saw. His job was to collect blind baby girls who had been left outside to die. In some places, girls were seen as less important than boys. He would bring these babies back to the orphanage. He also saw a lot of hunger and starvation caused by the Boxer Rebellion, a time of chaos and fighting in China. Because of growing danger, the family returned to California in 1912. Clifford made a promise to himself: if he could ever help hungry people, he would do it.
A story from the family tells of a young blind girl who fell into a well. Clifford's older brother risked his own life to save her from drowning. This story became a symbol at the orphanage. It showed that the life of any child, even a blind baby girl, was just as important as the life of a first-born son.
Meals for Millions
Creating a Special Food
In 1944, Clifford Clinton wanted to find a way to feed many people cheaply. He asked Dr. Henry Borsook, a scientist from Caltech who studied the chemistry of living things, to create a special food. This food needed to be very nutritious but cost no more than five cents per meal. Clifford offered $5,000 of his own money to pay for this research.
In less than a year, Dr. Borsook and a skilled French cook named Mme. Soulange Berzceller created something amazing. They developed Multi-Purpose Food (MPF). This was a high-protein food supplement that could be made for only three cents per meal.
Helping People Worldwide
Because of this success, Clifford Clinton started Meals for Millions in 1946. It was a not-for-profit organization, meaning it used its money to help others instead of making a profit. Over the next ten years, Meals for Millions sent 6.5 million pounds of MPF to groups helping people in 129 countries. This included places in the United States.
Other Work
Fighting for Fairness
Clifford Clinton was also involved in politics in Los Angeles during the 1930s. He worked to stop dishonest or unfair practices in the government. He even ran for mayor of Los Angeles in 1945.
Clifton's Cafeteria
Clifford E. Clinton also owned a chain of cafeteria-style restaurants called Clifton's. These popular restaurants were located in Los Angeles, California, but they no longer exist today.
