Greg Hill

The Project

Lentil as Anything: Everybody deserves a place at the table is Shanaka Fernando’s autobiography. In this book he shares his childhood in Sri Lanka, his travelling years exploring the lifestyles of indigenous people all around the world, and his creation of the Lentil as Anything pay-as-you-feel vegetarian restaurants. The book has recently been published (at our expense and for no profit). This project is about raising money for the second print run of this book, and so that we can continue to spread the message that generosity, tolerance and an inclusive attitude to community are what the world needs.

 

Lentil as Anything restaurants – currently existing in Abbotsford, St Kilda and Footscray – are restaurants where money takes a back seat to good food and good company. Patrons of the restaurants ‘pay-as-you-feel’ for their food, depositing whatever they choose to give into a money box. No one knows what anyone pays, and no one is watching to see if patrons even pay anything at all. The restaurants are challenging because patrons (many who soon become members of the loosely defined ‘Lentil community’) are faced with pondering questions like: What can I afford? What do I think the food is worth? Will I pay a reasonable amount for my meal? What can I afford to pay? Will I donate more than the food is worth to make up for someone who cannot afford to pay much at all? Will I volunteer my services?

The Abbotsford Lentil

The restaurants not only provide about a million healthy meals a year, they also provide a venue for volunteers to be part of a unique community: they provide paid work for hundreds of people, often refugees who otherwise struggle to fit in to life in Australia

The chefs, the staff, the volunteers and the patrons all provide a warm, inclusive atmosphere around the restaurants. It is this, after the example of Shanaka himself, which provides the inspiration for many who have had their lives enriched and even turned around by this ‘Lentil community’.

Inside Abbotsford Lentil

Rationale

The first print run is out, and selling well in book stores. However, the initial production, printing, and publicity costs have been high. We are making a loss from this initial printing of the book, and cannot afford another print run. This now creates an opportunity for all Lentil supporters, and those who want to be, to pledge assistance and receive attractive rewards for doing so.

Lentil as Anything: Everybody deserves a place at the table (Vivid Publishing) is an inspiring and in some ways revolutionary book. Without painting Shanaka as a saint, it portrays a background which has led him to be the person he is today, and explains some of the influences behind his radical approach to social issues. Shanaka’s approach has provided millions of meals and created hundreds of jobs, as well as allocating funds to other social and welfare issues.

The book promotes a very worthy cause. It has the capacity to contribute to changing the world and portraying another way – a way of living which minimalizes materialism and fosters generosity, equality and the preservation of each individual’s dignity.

It has been my dream, and still is, to promote Shanaka and the Lentil restaurants. This has been the driving force behind my co-authoring of his memoirs.

Some useful links http://lentilasanything.com and www.vividpublishing.com.au

This project’s facebook page is www.facebook.com/pozible.lentil

You can find updates and further information about this crowdfunding venture on my facebook page.

About Shanaka and his book

Lentil as Anything: Everybody deserves a place at the table is about a man who has started a social revolution in Melbourne.Shanaka inspires by example, leading a simple, modest life as he challenges us in advocating an inclusive, ethical approach to business and life, anda belief in the innate goodness and generosity of our fellow humans.

Shanaka was named Local Hero in the Australia Day awards in 2007 for his non-profit, socially responsibleLentil as Anythingrestaurants.In his restaurants it is people that qualify life, not property: ‘You get fed and treated with dignity even if you don’t have any money, and the colour of your skin and your education and your beliefs only put you on a par with everyone else.’

Where your money will go

The book has already been printed and released. Distribution has been organised and the book is well-received in book stores throughout the country. However, our return from book stores doesn’t quite pay off my initial debts in preparing and publishing the book. Thus we have no funds for a further print run, and we are seeking to print 1000 or 2000 more books, at a cost of up to $10,000.From this crowdraising we need to raise at least $5000 (and the full $10000 would be fantastic).

These books will continue to be sold in bookstores, as well as at speaking events, and through the Lentil restaurants. Hopefully, with your support, we will also one day be able to implement a pay-as-you-feel set-up for the purchase of these books in some locations – perhaps in the restaurants, perhaps at events, as we are currently sometimes doing. Such an action, following Shanaka’s lead in the Lentil pay-as-you-feel restaurants, will be somewhat of a revolution in the book industry, in making Shanaka’s motivating and transforming story available to all people, regardless of their income or financial resources.

You will have the satisfaction of knowing you have assisted with a very important project, as well as, for all pledges, you will receive a personal acknowledgement on our facebook page.

For all of you who pledge we would like to encourage you to make contact with us and share both your involvement in the Lentil community, and hear from you what we can do for you, and how we may be able to reward you.