Young Nonprofit Founder Empowers Other Youth Toward a Food Secure Bay Area

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Aidan Ahmed. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light. 

In 2020, as the world grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, Aidan Ahmed noticed a troubling rise in homelessness in the Bay Area. At just 11 years old, Aidan was determined to make a difference. Recognizing the challenges faced by unhoused individuals and families, particularly the shortage of food, he decided to take action. With the help of his brothers, Aidan co-founded Kids Kitchen, a community-driven initiative that empowers local youth to support those in need. 

Kids Kitchen began as a small project, with local kids making sandwiches and dropping them off, contactless, on Aidan’s front porch. The response from the youth in his community was overwhelming. Inspired by their enthusiasm and dedication, Aidan quickly realized that this initiative had the potential to grow far beyond his initial vision. He reached out to local nonprofits to distribute the meals to homeless camps across the Bay Area, ensuring that the food reached those who needed it most. 

Over the past four years, Kids Kitchen has evolved into a powerful community program rooted in the belief that kids can make a tangible difference in their communities. Aidan has forged partnerships with numerous local nonprofits, including the Bill Wilson Center and Hello Angels, to expand the reach and impact of Kids Kitchen. To date, the initiative has provided over 3,500 meals to unhoused individuals and families across the Bay Area. 

Aidan’s responsibilities with Kids Kitchen are extensive. He collaborates with local nonprofits, organizes monthly food drives, communicates with the community and personally helps prepare the meals. Beyond providing meals, Aidan is committed to educating youth about the importance of advocating for the unhoused community and destigmatizing homelessness. He believes that by bringing young people together, they can lead the charge in creating positive change within their communities. 

Read on to learn more about Aidan’s goal of ending hunger and supporting unhoused individuals throughout the Bay Area. 

Tell us about your volunteer role. 

As a co-founder of Kids Kitchen, I organize and host monthly meal drives for individuals and families experiencing homelessness in San Jose, California. I collaborate with nonprofits and involve local kids in preparing lunch bags, while parents often contribute hot meals. Each month, I work with our nonprofit partners and youth volunteers to plan and collect the meals, which are then distributed to homeless camps and shelters by our nonprofit partners. Additionally, I research and identify new nonprofits that share our mission to fight food insecurity and may be interested in partnering with us.

What inspired you to get started with this initiative? 

In 2020, my brothers, Ayaan, Noah and I co-founded Kids Kitchen after noticing a rise in homelessness across the Bay Area during the pandemic. Although our family had always been involved in community service, the pandemic presented a new challenge: safe volunteering opportunities for kids became scarce, and we were frequently turned away. So, we decided to start our own initiative, Kids Kitchen, a youth-led effort dedicated to fighting hunger by making quality meals in our own kitchen.  

Our mission was to offer kids a safe and straightforward way to address hunger in their community. Since then, the Kids Kitchen community has grown, and together we have provided over 3,500 meals to homeless camps and shelters, supporting at-risk individuals, including runaway youth, pregnant women and families with children across San Jose, California.   

Why is this issue so important to you? 

This issue is important to me because I believe that youth have the power to drive change in their communities, especially in the fight against hunger. I also see the youth voice as a powerful tool for challenging stereotypes about individuals experiencing homelessness. Together with other youth in the community, I hope to create a more inclusive and compassionate society where no one feels “invisible.” The Kids Kitchen community has demonstrated that youth can be true change-makers, leading change in their communities and beyond, through their actions.  

What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization? 

My hope is that the Kids Kitchen model inspires other youth to take action against hunger at the community level, creating a ripple effect of change led by youth across the country, and perhaps one day, across the world.  

The Kids Kitchen Model includes the central tenets to build the Kids Kitchen community, connect with local nonprofit organizations to form partnerships, organize and manage monthly meal events, collect meals and deliver them to nonprofit partners for distribution, and research and identify new nonprofits and expand the volunteer base. 

Through social media, I hope to make the Kids Kitchen model accessible to all youth, motivating them to help alleviate hunger and advocate for the de-stigmatization of homelessness. By encouraging youth everywhere to adopt the Kids Kitchen model, I believe we can contribute to addressing hunger on a broader scale. 

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work? 

The most rewarding part of my work has been seeing the Kids Kitchen community come together to deliver over 3,500 meals to those in need. We have received heartfelt gratitude from the unhoused community, who truly appreciate the effort and care kids put into preparing delicious, fresh, homemade meals. It’s incredibly fulfilling to know that our work makes them feel valued and cared for. 

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer? 

Through my experience co-founding Kids Kitchen, I have seen firsthand the impact youth can have on their local community. These experiences have taught me how to contribute to solutions, develop leadership skills, and enhance my communication skills by collaborating with nonprofits and the local community.  

I have also improved my cooking skills and am always on the lookout for new cuisines to incorporate into our monthly meal drives. Most importantly, I have learned that when a community of youth comes together, we have the power to drive meaningful change! 

Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about? 

It is important for others to get involved with causes they care about because every contribution, no matter how small, brings us closer to addressing the issue. If we don’t take action, who will? Each action adds up, and together, they make a significant difference.  

Any advice for people who want to start volunteering? 

If you are a young person interested in volunteering, go for it! Don’t let anyone tell you that you are too young to make a difference. What matters is not the scale of your impact, but your willingness to contribute. Your efforts, no matter how small, will make a difference in the world.  

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Aidan? Find local volunteer opportunities.