Homework to Homegrown
c/o Erika Chiu
Last month, Service Learning Fellow Erika Chiu distributed wellness baskets to elementary school students in San Francisco, California. “Homework to Homegrown” was made possible by generous grant support from the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation.
c/o Erika Chiu
Erika recruited 100 volunteers, in part through her school’s National Honor Society. Over six weeks, Erika collected over 200 reusable water bottles, 300 tote bags, and 300 reusable produce bags, partnering with local food banks and pantries to ensure the transportation and storage of high-quality materials.
Volunteers came together on April 25, which coincides with Global Youth Service Day—the longest-running annual youth participation event in the world and the only one that asks all youth ages 5-25 to work together for the common good while recognizing the impact youth make on their communities every day. They placed one of each collected item, alongside laminated cards containing general information about nutritional eating, into each basket. Ultimately, the baskets included 240 meal equivalents and were delivered to 200 students. Erika encouraged students to bring the baskets home to their families, indirectly benefiting over 2,000 individuals through guidance on long-term wellness and positive relationships with food.
The project was run under the auspices of the Eloquence Charitable Fund, a philanthropic initiative connecting academic debate to community service. As a seasoned debater, Erika had researched and debated topics related to childhood hunger extensively. “One of my students [once] confided in me that she was struggling with food security and apologized for not being able to focus in class. Hearing her struggle to articulate her challenges forced me to realize that even the most motivated of students often face uncontrollable, external barriers. Hunger directly affects a student’s ability to learn, participate, and feel safe at school,” said Erika. The issue is close to her heart.
We are excited to continue supporting our Service Learning Fellows’ projects.
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Eloquence Academy, Inc. is the world’s largest youth-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing equitable academic debate opportunities for rural and historically underserved students. The Academy has offered live debate programs for 3,600 students, partnerships with 122 schools and nonprofit organizations, and online debate resources for 16,084 students. It has prepared students across all 50 states and 102 countries for college readiness, career engagement, and community impact. Follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
