Meet Jack, a Student Change-Maker
Jack Levin is a volunteer, 10th-grader, and passionate advocate for food justice. He’s also the recipient of the Grassroots Grocery Student Change-Maker Award.
In November and December, Jack raised $5,000 to bring the pantry to the people!
“I think food deserts overall are a huge issue,” says Jack. “And I think the way Grassroots Grocery is solving it is really interesting and incredible. It’s such a simple and easy solution that’s so renewable and so helpful in two different ways–in both removing excess food from Hunts Point Market, and also giving it to people who actually need it. I think it's just win-win in every way.”
Jack volunteering at a Grassroots Grocery Produce Party.
Jack and his mother Mary began volunteering with Grassroots Grocery with the Young Men’s Service League (YMSL), a service organization for mothers and sons. Mary says,“Jack, I think, felt so accomplished by just that one morning of sorting food and delivering food. In just a few hours he had made a contribution, done something to help. And I think that really inspired him. He wanted to do a lot more work. He really wanted to volunteer a lot with Grassroots. So we started going a lot on Saturdays.”
Jack brought his personal connection to the cause front and center during his fundraising campaign. He challenged a friend at Scarsdale Middle School to a fundraising race, and sent several emails to friends and family.
This is important to me because my mom works in the Bronx just like Dan and we are both passionate about reducing the food insecurity in the Bronx. I also simply do not think anyone should be hungry, especially when in America we waste 30-40% of our food.
Mary is a doctor in the Bronx. “For all my kids, I've just tried to get them involved in working in spaces where they're inspired and they're interested, but where they are able to appreciate and give back in those ways. I want them to understand that they have a lot of privilege and they need to do this kind of volunteer work, as well as do social justice work, as a way of trying to make the world a better place and trying to right some of the inequities that exist in the world.”
“Youth volunteers like Jack are important leaders in our work,” says Grassroots Grocery CEO Dan Zauderer. “Jack is just awesome and inspiring. We’re so grateful for his fundraising, commitment, and dedication to serving his neighbors.He is the very definition of a Student Change-Maker.”
I have become a Student Ambassador for Grassroots Grocery and I am working to get more kids involved and to rescue food from my school.
Jack plans to continue taking direct action to address food insecurity. He hopes to start a club at school to rescue cafeteria food, as well as continue to volunteer at Produce Parties. “Of the volunteer programs I've done, Grassroots Grocery has been really the most direct. You're actually driving the food to the centers, rather than just moving things around or doing other things that are larger. At Grassroots Grocery, you really are helping. Each volunteer individually is a huge component to Grassroots Grocery,” says Jack.
Mary agrees. “I think that even if you can only volunteer a couple of times in the year with your kids, it's worthwhile to do just because it's so important. I think for them to feel like there are ways that they can change the world and change things locally, to feel connected and responsible for their community is really, really important. And those are all things that they can get. Even young kids, just by spending a morning at Grassroots Grocery, they can see what's happening and again, not feel overwhelmed or hopeless by it or feel like it's something too big for them. Doing that work gives them a strong sense that’ I can do things that change the world around me in important ways, and I need to be doing that.’ And it makes them happy and they want to do more of it, and that will help us in the future.”
Do you know a student who wants to join the movement and be a change-maker?
Check out our student engagement opportunities!