A Recipe for Taking Action Against Hunger

This post is by Will Lourcey, youth advisory council member for generationOn, and originally appeared on the generationOn blog.

What can a kid do to fight hunger? That was a question I asked myself when I was 7 years old. I saw a man on a street corner holding a sign that read, “NEED A MEAL.”  It made me realize that I needed to do something about it. But what could I do? I was only 7 years old.

Well, it turns out a kid can do a lot. I founded the youth-led nonprofit, Friends Reaching Our Goals, or FROGs for short. FROGs has inspired hundreds of kids to take action in their community, and has provided more than 200,000 meals for the hungry.

Here is my simple recipe for changing the world!

• See a Need – I saw a man standing on a street corner holding a sign that read “NEED A MEAL.” Do you see a need? Is there something in your community that could be improved or solved? Identifying a need is the first step.
• Be a Doer – My motto is, “Be a doer, not a watcher.” Being a doer means acting and not waiting for others to address a problem. I could have waited and hoped that someone else would help the hungry man, but I didn’t. I acted.
• Make a Plan – Decide who you might want to partner with to make the biggest impact and learn more about the issue or problem. I scheduled a meeting with the local food bank to educate myself about the issue of hunger and the things I could do to help. My goal was to create fun ways to get other kids excited about fighting hunger while creating positive change.
• Gather Friends – Next, I gathered friends in my community to form a hunger-fighting team. Everything is more fun when you are with friends! We designed fun events to get our peers involved in fighting hunger. We ran lemonade stands, yard sales, video game parties, baseball and soccer tournaments, and dodgeball events to generate awareness about the issue of hunger and raise funds. FROGs would not be successful if it weren’t for this group of people coming together to make a difference in their community. I’ve learned that I can’t do everything by myself but that with my friends, anything is possible.
• Change the World – This was the easiest step because any action, no matter how big or small, has the potential to make a positive impact. By being doers, we are changing the world! When you act, you create a ripple effect and other kids get inspired.

Now is your chance to become a doer. Follow this recipe for creating change in your community by participating in generationOn’s Make Your Mark on Hunger campaign. They’ll guide you through everything from creating a garden, to hosting a food drive, to holding a volleyball tournament — all of which can help you fight hunger!

My advice to kids who want to improve their community is to act. Choose to do something rather than waiting for someone else. Always remember: No matter how tall or small you are … you can make a big difference! You’ll be amazed at how many people will join your efforts and help. All you need to do is choose to be a doer and follow the recipe.

Get started today at hunger.generationOn.org