World We Imagine: Appetite for Achievement

According to the USDA, more than 34 million people, including 9 million children, in the United States are food insecure. At the same time, 108 billion pounds of food is wasted in the United States each year. That equates to 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion in food thrown away each year. Shockingly, nearly 40% of all food in America is wasted. The goal of Appetite for Achievement is to find ways to diminish the amount of food wasted by getting it to the millions of people who go hungry every year.

I feel very fortunate to have grown up in Los Angeles, California but I have seen firsthand the disparities that come with any major city. While I have done my best to give back at food banks and volunteer on weekends to help prepare meals for the homeless, I feel like there is more that can be done. As a child, my parents and teachers would always tell me I needed my “brain food” in order to be successful in school. I never realized how fortunate I was to be able to have this support during my most important years of development. I feel passionate about finding a way to help fight against hunger, especially among children. This is because hunger in child development is associated with delayed development, the risk of chronic illnesses like asthma and anemia, and behavioral problems like hyperactivity, anxiety, and aggression. These problems are not the fault of the children but can lead to major issues for them later in life. I want to change this with my organization, working to set everyone up for success.

The larger issue is the waste of perfectly good food in America. I was inspired by companies like Farmlink and Imperfect Foods that work to get food to people before its expiration date. Appetite for Achievement is an organization that builds its foundation in helping children specifically to make sure that they are well-fed so they have adequate resources for success–and that starts with some “brain food.” Our organization will work for farms, restaurants, and markets in areas to supply extra food to schools and youth centers to make sure children are always supplied with the resources to be well-fed. In order to make things as easy as possible for donors, our organization will provide transportation to pick up the extra food and bring it back to our headquarters. Our meals will be prepared in the kitchens of nighttime establishments such as clubs and bars that do not use their kitchens during the day. We will then deliver the meals and food to the schools and youth centers. 

We are seeking support from Anima Mundi Development Partners because our organization has the opportunity to change the lives of millions and create a better world for everyone. Our operating costs are low since we will get most of our supplies and space from donors. We want to start in Los Angeles and eventually expand our operations to other major cities in the United States with percentages of hunger and poverty. Your organization would be helping out millions of children start on the right path to create a successful future. Thank you for your time and consideration and we look forward to hearing from you!