https://vimeo.com/214125341

Did you know that 1 in 7 college students worry about where their next meal may come from? In California, that number is even more dire–1 in 3 struggle with hunger insecurity daily. Pretty sobering facts when you assume that people who can go to college could surely afford proper nutrition.

In 2009, Rachel Sumekh and her friends, all students at UCLA, used their meal cards to purchase sandwiches which they distributed to hungry people along the city’s streets. Eventually, the number of meals purchased with meal points reached 15,000. With so much unused funding left on students’ cards, Rachel and her friends uncovered an enormous resource that could be used to feed hungry people throughout the community and on campus. Swipe Out Hunger is the organization that Rachel now leads, dedicated to empowering students on campuses across the country to end hunger and homelessness.

We were introduced to Rachel a few months ago and learned quite quickly how this inspiring young woman has already brought the program to more than 26 campuses across the country (with more coming on board), as well as having successfully lobbied the California legislature to address the issue of hunger on campus through student meal sharing practices.

Our matching grant helped make possible a record-breaking $76,000 infusion for Swipe Out Hunger so that students like Emily, the focus of this video, will never experience hunger again.

We recently checked in with Joe Labriola, executive director of Second Helpings Atlanta (SHA), one of our Georgia-based grantees making a significant impact on hunger in Atlanta and its suburbs. In the past few years, SHA’s growth has been enormous, as they attract more food donations–from local corporate cafeterias, supermarkets and beyond–and utilize dedicated volunteers, who deliver those leftovers to nearby pantries and soup kitchens, where healthy food is distributed to hungry Atlantans.

In the course of our conversation, Joe mentioned the many food deserts that exist within greater Atlanta. Yes, even today there are places where fresh food is just not in abundant supply. Joe’s comments made me wonder what modest investment could be made so that one of these small local pantries could better avail themselves of SHA’s bounty. After some investigation, Joe shared that a tiny food pantry in nearby DeKalb county could not afford proper refrigeration, which would allow them to accept more fresh food items. With our modest investment of $3,200, Sarah’s Closet, a pantry that struggles to provide for its hungry neighbors, is now the proud owner of this beautiful commercial refrigerator–soon to be filled with lots of dairy products, veggies, and meat.

A tzedakah investment with a significant pay-off–well worth making!

Did you know that in Israel the Pesach school break lasts about three weeks? Can you imagine having kids underfoot for all of that time—especially with the cooking and cleaning that goes with the holiday celebration?

Check out these pictures taken earlier this week at the inclusive Pesach Camp run by Shutaf, our Israeli grantee that offers kids with disabilities and without, the joy of camp and after-school activities.  It was The Good People Fund’s honor to underwrite the cost of camp for teens in the Etgarim program. Climbing trees, swinging from ropes and experiencing the fun and excitement every one associates with camping—what could be better? It was no wonder that one participant exclaimed, “Why can’t we stay all week?!? Three days is not enough!”

This picture was taken some time ago after The Good People Fund helped outfit a kitchen in the Kalwa slum in Mumbai. Working with Gabriel Project Mumbai and its passionate founder, Jacob Sztokman, the new equipment has made it possible for 16 women to prepare hot lunches for 500 kids (keeping them well fed and in school), as well as earn their own money–something they have never done before.

In an update that was received today, we learned that some of the women have used this experience as a springboard to further entrepreneurial ventures, thus helping their families, their communities and most of all, themselves. Empowering women can “change the world through food and love” and how proud we are to be part of it all.

Shelter guests often have many things to worry about in addition to not having a place to sleep and be protected from the elements. For people living in several of Boston’s shelters the harshness of everyday life is softened each month as our grantee, Shelter Music Boston, and its founder, Julie Leven, and her fellow artists present beautiful classical concerts-music that soothes both the heart and the mind.

The guest who recently penned the note above speaks of her fear of losing her belongings or the possible violence that may erupt-both dismissed as she absorbed the sounds of the violins and realized that she could sleep there in comfort.

Truly a tzedakah investment that makes our heart sing, too.

Can any of us imagine navigating school without the use of a computer?

For many young Ethiopians, all the first in their families to attend college, having a computer is not a given. Our friends at The Forgotten People Fund in Israel have a backlog of worthy students who would benefit greatly from such a learning tool which made it an easy decision to underwrite the purchase of nine new computers to help reduce the number of students on the waiting list.

Belaynesh, pictured here, was thrilled.  Is it any wonder why “she said that she feels like she won the lottery”?