LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Brandon Lane was nominated by his colleague, Jodie Woodruff.

Mr. Lane's enthusiasm is contagious, along with his humor, commitment, drive, and desire to meet or beat his personal best every day. He has proven to students, staff and families that curiosity is a powerful motivator.

Mr. Lane has brought his passion for plant-based, whole food diets to his school over the past two years. He worked with the superintendent, kitchen chef, students and staff to educate the importance and consequences of having healthy eating habits. Students were part of a weekly workshop he hosted over lunch through his own expense. He helped provide healthy, whole-food, plant-based lunches while showcasing the movie Knives over Forks. Within six months, the entire Met Center implemented Plant-Based Mondays, where all lunches were whole-food and plant-based.

The Met Center is located in a community food desert, where fresh, nutritional foods and healthy eating habits are hard to come by. Mr. Lane is making an incredible difference through hosting family nights, his noon lunches, and creating life-changing opportunities for all.

Mr. Lane's efforts to bring this initiative to his school drew national attention from Suzy Cameron of One Meal A Day. Suzy approached Mr. Lane at a conference and asked if he could bring his initiative to all public schools in the country. Through his own passion and tireless efforts, The Met Center will now provide one whole food, plant-based meal a day. Mr. Lane continues to promote and provide information around the country on healthy eating habits and well being. As he travels across the country, he doesn't go anywhere without a student. Many of his students have never left Providence.

"Brandon is changing lives," said Woodruff. "I've seen students who have made the decision to eat a whole food plant-based diet in the past year. Brandon has advocated for many of his students, and some of them now work at Plant City, a whole-food plant based restaurant in Providence that employs over 200 people."