Our grantee, Andrew Walker, founder of Elevate+, has just wrapped up another successful summer, providing internships for talented college students from underrepresented backgrounds—helping them gain skills, build confidence, and make a lasting impact in their host organizations. Elevate + provides equal access to formative, paid internships, recognizing that students in every community, regardless of background or zip code deserve a fair shot at building the skills, experience and networks that shape long-term success. We’re proud to support Elevate+ and its visionary leader Andrew, and we’re grateful for the dedicated leadership of Stacey, Elevate+’s Board Chair!
Good News Update
Building Bridges of Kindness
JLM Food Rescuers, founded by Daniella Seltzerand Itay Peled, saves usable—and delicious!— discarded produce from Jerusalem’s wholesale market and provides it to a network of volunteer food distributors from all around the city. Through their programs, they are building bridges of kindness, concern, and compassion between neighbors of every background, through food rescue and the shared desire to address food insecurity in their communities.
Fathers Fighting 4 Fathers Gears up for Back-to-School season
We purchased backpacks for Fathers Fighting 4 Fathers, founded by Markus Trent, which made it possible for Markus and his team to distribute backpacks to all who needed them at their recent back-to-school programs and support their focus on preventing truancy, strengthening family bonds, and engaging parents in their children’s education. Fathers Fighting 4 Fathers is partnering with local fire stations and other community partners in addition to their strong connections with an increasing number of Baltimore schools.
Pesia’s Kitchen/EAT Expands Impact
Grantee Pesia’s Kitchen/EAT, founded by Gideon Ben-Ami and led by Yoni Ben-Ami, finished up another wonderful year of impact through their successful school-based programs, which combine education about nutrition, food waste, and food insecurity with actual food distribution to school families and community members in a dignified way. This past year they expanded to reach 16 schools!
In a year-end reflection, Maayan, the social involvement coordinator at one of their local schools working with at-risk youth, shared her thoughts on the impact of their new partnership with Pesia’s Kitchen/EAT:
“What began as a broader effort to build belonging and engagement through volunteering turned into a transformative weekly program. Starting in the second quarter of the school year, rescued produce was delivered each Monday, and students took part in packing, sorting, and distributing food—creating a joyful, hands-on experience that not only improved attendance but deepened students’ sense of purpose and self-worth. With support from the welfare department and local community partners, the effort blossomed into a celebration of giving and receiving with dignity. I hope that this beautiful project will continue for many years to come.”
Grantee Featured in Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper
Our grantee Barry Hoffner, Founder of Caravan to Class (which runs the Bourse Jackie programs in memory of his wife, Jackie) was featured in Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper in honor of his upcoming book about his travels to every country in the world (except North Korea). Read more here:
Grantee Update: Inheritance Theater Project
Congratulations to Jon Adam Ross (JAR), founder of Inheritance Theater Project for being chosen for the next cohort of Uptide Accelerator run by 92NY Belfer Center for Innovation and Social Impact. Uptide is an accelerator that gives community-building nonprofits the tools they need to reach the next level of impact. We are proud of JAR and his team!
