Chris Monroe started carving wooden swords for his grandchildren. When the neighborhood kids saw them, demand took off, and three years and more than 100 swords later the retired firefighter has turned a garage hobby into a small charity outside St. Louis. He takes a donation for each sword and delivers the money to a local school district at the end of the year to pay down student lunch debt, crediting every gift to the child who asked for the sword.
Monroe learned how widespread lunch debt is from his son-in-law, Andrew Crawford, a teacher. In Missouri, about 20% of students are directly certified for free or reduced lunch through federal programs, and another 48% qualify by household income, meaning many struggling families sit just above the cutoff and never ask for help. Monroe says kids text and email him about their swords, and he’s grateful he found a purpose. A friend, Stephanie Auping, plans to sell his work, including a deer antler knife, at The Emporium in Washington, Missouri.
We know the Suncoast’s version of this instinct well, from storm cleanup crews to red tide relief efforts. Neighbors helping neighbors isn’t new here, but a wooden sword is a reminder that even small donations add up by the end of a school year. Have you ever turned a hobby into something that helped your community? Tell us about it below.
