U.K. Footballer Takes on Child Poverty.
HOLMES: Welcome back. In Beirut, rescue teams are back at work, digging through tons of rubble from last month's massive explosion there. Officials halted operations on Thursday, fearing a further collapse if they didn't wait for the right equipment. A sniffer dog detected possible signs of life under the rubble on Thursday. Thermal imaging showed two bodies. And then a listening device registered possible breathing. The horrific explosion rocked the capital of Lebanon 30 days ago. More than 200 people were killed, thousands were left homeless. Now, in the U.K., a star footballer is drawing on his own childhood experiences to fight child poverty. CNN World Sport anchor Alex Thomas with that story.</s>ALEX THOMAS, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: He is a famous young footballer with Manchester United and England, who scores goals on the pitch and away from it, campaigns to feed children who are unable to get enough food.</s>THOMAS: Marcus Rashford has already influenced British government policy and is now asking for lawmakers to act again. In an open letter to members of the country's parliament, Rashford is urging them to back three recommendations from a new task force he has set up. Mentioning his own experience of child food poverty, he writes, "I remember the sound of my mom crying herself to sleep to this day, having worked a 14-hour shift, unsure how she was going to make ends meet." Because this cause is so personal to him, Rashford teamed up with FareShare which uses surplus food to provide millions of meals to charities, feeding those who can't provide enough for themselves.</s>LINDSAY BOSWELL, CEO, FARESHARE: The government's own number is that 4.2 million people live in poverty in the United Kingdom. I mean that is shocking. And quite often, you know, you come up against a sort of dogmatic position where people go, well I just don't believe these numbers. And that's why having the authenticity of somebody like Marcus Rashford, who has been there, done it and got the sadly, the t-shirt in terms of being hungry as a young man himself, needing to rely on breakfast clubs and after school clubs in order to get enough food. And, you know, there is an authenticity about that that is absolutely fantastic.</s>THOMAS: Earlier this year, the sports star helped persuade the British government to extend this scheme to provide free school meals to vulnerable children during the coronavirus lockdown. And how, he is lobbying for a longer term solution after persuading the U.K.'s major supermarkets to join his task force.</s>BOSWELL: There is something very of the moment and of now about this coalition, where you have got a young 22-year-old black footballer calling on, and I was in the call, the chief executives of all OF the major food businesses. And he said, you know, guys this is what I want you to do.</s>THOMAS: And they did, signing up to recommendations that would mean millions more children getting fed and possibly a change in attitudes too.</s>MARCUS RASHFORD, U.K. FOOTBALLER: the children are in school, if you need help in Math or English, it is natural for you to just ask for help it from the teacher because it's something in a different light. It's looked down upon so -- you know, for me, I just say hold your head up high and if you need help, go and get it. Go and get help.</s>THOMAS: The British government says it will carefully consider the task force's recommendations as it approaches the next spending review. An acknowledgment that the star footballer with number 10 on his jersey is being listened to at Number 10 where Britain's Prime Minister lives. Alex Thomas, CNN.</s>HOLMES: Thanks for watching, everyone. Spending part of your day with me. I'm Michael Holmes. Robyn Curnow picks things up from here. More CNN NEWSROOM with her after the break.